Angels and Witches: Campus Apocalypse (On Hold)
by soul.assassin.547
Summary: The year is 2015. Among billions, only a handful were chosen to battle a threat that has been around since the beginning of civilization. But time is running out fast as the Day of Walpurga is coming, and will this band of Children be able to stop it?
1. The New Kids in Town

_**PROTOTYPE**_

_**Spoiler Warning:**__ This fanfic assumes that you have watched all 26 episodes of Evangelion (Remake / Director's Cut / Platinum versions), read the manga, plus watched End of Eva (EoE). Furthermore, you should have watched all 12 episodes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica or read the manga. For those who haven't, try to purchase/rent and watch/read first. Much thanks._

_**Reader Advisory:**__ The following fanfic contains strong coarse language, violence, and suggestive scenes that may be suitable only for young adult readers from age 16 and above. Reader discretion is advised._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Evangelion is the property of Studio Gainax/Khara, and distributed in the United States (and elsewhere) by ADVFilms/Section23 (EvaTV), Manga Entertainment (EoE), Viz Publications (the manga adaptation), Dark Horse (Campus Apocalypse manga) and Funimation (NME/Rebuild)_

_Puella Magi Madoka Magica is the property of Studio Shaft and Aniplex (SPE)_

_Other products mentioned in this fanfiction are the properties of their respective companies. This fanfiction is written with the non-profit use of characters, story and settings for entertainment purposes._

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><p><em><strong>Prologue in 2015 - The Half-Remembered Dream<strong>_

* * *

><p>The fourteen-year-old girl suddenly found herself in a very strange place full of corridors and walkways, mostly covered in checkers of black and white. She had no idea how she wound up in this world, as she was running, trying to find a way out of this labyrinth.<p>

_Where am I?_ The girl asked herself. Her pink hair was tied with red ribbons, forming into double-tails; she was dressed in her full school uniform, a brown sailor suit and a black tie, and this outfit was completed with a pair of white stockings and patent leather shoes.

The landscape told her nothing except for the lone green EXIT sign right above her; all right, this was the way out and she ran towards the door, pushed the bar that unlocked and she went right into…

_What in the world?_ The girl was stunned; she couldn't believe what she was seeing once outside, and it was frightening and unreal, a dark and apocalyptic world: huge chunks of buildings and debris were floating up in the stormy sky, the wind howling in her ears whilst thunderclaps rumbled across the ruined landscape, a modern city in ruins, a veritable war zone.

And then she saw specks of what looked to be a pair of people. Focusing closer, they turned out to be as young as her, wearing the same school uniform but wielding weaponry. A girl, her midnight waist-long hair flowing through the wind, was toting a huge machinegun and an ornate round shield on her left arm; the boy, with short black hair and grey-blue eyes, was holding a pair of silver pistols in his hands, both aimed akimbo. The duo rushed right towards a rather fearsome and massive visage, dressed in a blue and white gown and what looked like huge assemblage of gears for feet, dancing upside-down like a jewel-case ballerina, but cackling in evil laughter.

Suddenly the boy and the girl started firing away their weapons, as if the bullets could tear out the hell of the monstrosity while they jumped and dashed higher into the air to engage their enemy as close as possible. But despite their immense courage, the monster merely shrugged hundreds of rounds as though they were no more than flies on an elephant, and laughed.

The sight of violence instantly frightened her, but the girl couldn't move an inch to run away, literally frozen in place, and no more than a couple of feet away a white cat-like creature stared right into her eyes; this stranger had four ears, a pair of which were floppy and had gold earrings; an oblong body with a red circle over its back; a billowy tail which the creature wagged slowly, as if unperturbed by the chaos.

"My God… This is terrible!" the girl exclaimed.

"We can't do anything about it, except to watch them," the creature said, and its ability to speak really surprised the girl. "That Witch is too powerful for them to stop, but I'm sure they're well-prepared."

"That's a _witch_?" the girl asked.

The cat creature nodded. "Yes."

More explosions erupted as the Witch retaliated with beams of light, generating huge shockwaves that blasted the mystery duo back into… the branches of a huge tree.

"But… I can't just stand here and watch!" the girl fearfully commented, and then for a moment she could stare at the eyes of the boy and the girl, helplessly stranded high up the tree, completely dazed and bruised.

The pink-haired girl first looked into the boy's eyes, grey-blue but afraid, shaking with fear, before a crimson glow surrounded him and he was pulled away into the air. In agony the boy's arms were stretched outward, as though struggling to resist, and then the girl saw reddish point of lights erupting from the center of the boy's palms, forming into fiery stigmata.

He was now being crucified but without the cross.

She then turned her gaze at the other girl, purple eyes pleading for help, her mouth agape, as if yelling what she wanted to say but the girl couldn't hear her words.

"It's over if you give up," the strange cat said.

The girl blinked. "What?"

"But you can change your destiny."

This time the girl gasped, as if the cat had something powerful to offer, just before a very loud explosion caused the girl to cover ears with her hands.

"Both destruction and grief is inevitable, but it's up to you to change it all," the cat continued. "You have the power to do it."

"Really?" the girl asked. "Is it possible? Can someone like me make much of a difference? Can I avoid this from happening?"

"Of course!" the creature exclaimed.

The girl couldn't believe it; here was someone offering her infinite possibilities to set something right… yet how?

As if the creature knew what she was thinking, it said, "If you want to act on it right now, you must make a contract with me!"

The girl blinked. "For what?" she demanded.

"Should you agree," the creature said. "I shall turn you into a magical girl."

* * *

><p>On the bed, the girl unexpectedly woke up with a start, her dream cut off completely like a television plug yanked out of the socket as she rose from the bed, still clutching her stuffed elephant. It took a minute or two for her brain to boot back into reality and organize itself, before her eyes strayed towards the alarm clock (it was past 6:10 in the morning), and then her nose quivered, sensing the smell of breakfast wafting through her bedroom door.<p>

Ham, eggs and bacon, and her father Tomohisa was doing all the cooking.

"It was a dream…" she mumbled, before sinking into her thoughts. _Who was that boy and girl? Who were they? And what was that weird cat? What he was offering me, and in exchange for what?_

She frowned, wondering if she'd seen such an apocalyptic scene before. Perhaps some forgotten horror movie on TV that she walked away from ten minutes after it started; or maybe…

Suddenly she heard her name being hollered from downstairs: "MADOKA!"

"Coming, Dad!" Madoka Kaname answered as she rolled off the bed, got up on her feet and into slippers. The girl then turned around to face the dresser mirror, smiled at the reflection and told her frazzle-haired self, "Good morning."

* * *

><p><strong>ANGELS AND WITCHES: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE<br>**_An Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku X Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU Fanfiction  
><em>

**Chapter 1: The New Kid(s) in Town**_  
>Written by soulassassin547 on 510/2011 12:41 a5/p5_

* * *

><p>Five kilometers away from where Madoka Kaname was standing, a young man, dressed in his new brown school uniform, coat and pants cut in the traditional style with a Prussian neck collar, was sitting and sandwiched between other passengers in a commuter train bound for Mitakihara City. He also had a large duffel bag sitting besides his feet, as it contained most of his clothes and important belongings.<p>

His hair was black, clean-cut, never allowing it to grow long or be dyed in a different color, making him unlike the other boys of his age, who were experimenting with oddball hair styles. He also had grey-blue eyes, which sometimes he was still guessing if he'd inherited them from a mother he couldn't remember.

But his face was streaked with doubt and anxiety, not sure if he could fit into the new world that was proffered before him, to be accepted by a different society of would-be peers; it was days after he received a letter in the mail, stating that he was eligible for transfer to Mitakihara Academy, and furthermore, there was another letter that came with the document.

The letter was brief and was written and signed by his father's hand, asking him to come, and in rage he almost tore it apart when he realized that there was something else clipped on.

A calling card had the name Ryoji Kaji printed on, whose stated profession was that of a newspaper reporter working for the largest broadsheet in the entire country, and to aid him in identifying this man further he had his face stuck onto the card; along with that was a small letter: Kaji was assigned to be his guardian for the remainder of… How long? The boy wasn't so sure.

The young man's ears were stuck with a pair of earphones, and whereas everyone else were sporting iPods, he was using a slightly-battered SDAT player, cradling the device in his hand. He had the thing for almost ten years, he knew who once owned it, and it was still doing its role of playing mixed SDAT tapes that the young man also made by recording music that he liked.

Yet at the moment he was playing a song from an old RPG game on Track 25, and he'd programmed the player to auto-reverse on that track, effectively looping it as long as there were enough batteries to keep it alive.

He'd been glued to that piece of music since twelve, as it was the first song he heard after running away from his father three years ago.

The boy glanced up, wondering if he was close to his destination, Mitakihara Grand Central railway station, and on cue the PA system told him he'd arrived on time and warned to be careful when stepping out of the doors as he heard the squeaking of brakes engaged to slow down the commuter train. The boy then stood up and grabbed his bag, walked out of the train doors, gingerly sidestepping and trying not to get himself crushed by the morning rush.

Just then he saw a girl, also in a school uniform in the same color as his, was standing amidst the sea of humanity flowing and parting around her, staring into his eyes. Her midnight-black hair, set in place with a black band, reached to waist length; she had a somber expression on her face, and was holding a nylon school bag; furthermore she also carried a backpack strapped to her back, meaning that she must be a newcomer just like him.

For a few seconds the boy wondered what or who was she, before someone bumped onto his back, almost shoving him to the floor.

"Sorry, son… Sorry," a salaryman in a generic three-piece suit apologized for a moment, and the young man nodded as if he was saying, "it's okay." He then stood up to find the girl again, but she was gone.

The young man frowned. _Who was she?_ He asked himself and then consulted his watch. 6:15 am, and he was supposed to be present in school before seven.

_I'd better get going, _the young man thought as he picked up his bag and walked through the turnstile, punching in his passcard. _I have to find Kaji… He must be waiting out there._

As he walked up the stairs to find his way out of the station, the nametag strapped to the handle of his duffel bag dangled and swung, telling everyone who he was: _Shinji Ikari._

* * *

><p>The mystery girl with the waist-long midnight hair, and dressed in the same type of school uniform that Madoka Kaname was wearing as she was preparing for school, now stood behind a bank of vending machines just outside the train station. She took out an envelope from the side pocket of her bag, and read its contents, stating that she was selected as a recipient of a scholarship, because she was an orphan for as long as she could remember after the disaster.<p>

Her parents were among those who perished 5 years ago, when an earthquake and a tsunami flattened Japan's eastern seaboard and left millions dead and thousands of children like her without parents or relatives, so a childless couple adopted her.

A week before today the girl received the letter, saying that the scholarship contained enough money to pay for the tuition and expenses for the rest of her school life, right up to college.

To the girl, it was no surprise: she excelled in school, both academically and in athletics (she held the prefectural record for the highest high jump). But she chose not to compete, preferring to let others have their trophies while she kept a low profile, and even then this agency gave her a scholarship from out of nowhere.

The girl then put away the letter back into the bag and consulted her wristwatch; she still had enough time for her to go to school so as soon as a bus screeched to a halt, she went aboard and held onto the stainless steel tubes bolted to the floor and ceiling.

Homura Akemi sighed, knowing that she was ready for the challenges of a new world that lay ahead of her.

* * *

><p>While her father was preparing breakfast, Madoka and her mother Junko were in the bathroom, brushing their teeth. Between brushes before they spat into the washbasin, Junko asked, "How things are going lately?"<p>

"Hitomi got another love letter, and that's the second this month," Madoka answered. Hitomi Shizuki was, in her opinion, the most strikingly beautiful girl in her class, and naturally boys were trying to win her over by sending the girl letters slipped into the shoe locker.

"Oh," Junko said, even while brushing further into her molars. "You don't want a guy who doesn't have the guts to confess to you in person."

In unison, mother and daughter then gargled and spat into the basin.

"Now… What about Kazuko?" Junko questioned. Kazuko Saotome was her classmate back in her high school days, but lately having trouble finding a suitor, due to her being past her thirties – figuratively the 'Christmas Cake' wallflower.

"She's still teaching," Madoka said, "but she tends to talk about her love life even while in class. I think it's her third month being a teacher, so it's a new record."

Junko chuckled. _That poor girl_, she thought as she watched Madoka wash her face while the older woman went about blow-drying her hair. "Well, we'll see about that, yet now's the crucial time for her."

"Really?" Madoka asked as she picked up a towel and dried her face.

"If she's not serious about herself," Junko said, "she'll be having more trouble later on. But if she acts on her issues, she'll be okay for another year."

The older woman began to apply makeup onto her face, and once done the businesswoman Junko Kaname looked really formidable and regal for work; her workmates called her the "Empress" not just because of her appearance, but for being sharp as a tack in business matters.

"How do I look now?" she asked, smiling.

Madoka smiled. "You're super-cool, Mom… But," the girl paused, holding two pairs of ribbons in her right hand: one red, one yellow, to rein in her rather messy pink hair. "Which ribbon should I wear?"

"I think that red would be nicer on you," Junko said, pointing out her choice.

Madoka blinked. "Really? Isn't that too colorful?"

"Don't worry, the color's perfect," Junko said. "You have to remember that appearance is important for girls at your age, especially for first impressions from others once they see you."

"Mmmm… Okay," Madoka agreed, and she began to tie her hair into twin tails, and then straightened the neck tie of her brown sailor suit. Once done, Madoka took a final check on her appearance.

"You look really nice," Junko commented. "Now your secret admirers will surely be knocked out once they see you."

Madoka laughed. "I don't have any of them yet, Mom."

Junko shrugged. "You have to tell yourself that you do. That's the key to being beautiful," she advised.

* * *

><p>"How are you doing?" Ryoji Kaji asked, his hands on the steering wheel. They were both riding in his restored black 1994 Porsche 911. He had his hair ponytailed, a nice collection of stubble on his chin, and his necktie loosened, even against the newspaper company's dress code; but there were no questions about his appearance, for he'd won the newspaper several awards in investigative journalism.<p>

Earlier he found Shinji waiting at a bus stop, had a brief introduction before the older man loaded the baggage into the rear seat.

"Uh… Nothing much," Shinji answered. The young man looked down to his lap, still unsure of what laid ahead of him. "Had no issue with my uncle; he said it was all right because my father asked me to come here."

"I see," Kaji answered. "Why do you look… sad?"

Shinji sighed. "I'm not sure about Father," he answered. "I mean, we haven't talked to each other since the last time… That was five years ago."

"He's been busy in the last few months," Kaji said.

"Why? What's he working on?"

"I don't know, and I'm in the dark as far as I'm concerned. Even if I sometimes I get summoned to his office, he couldn't tell me much except for a few orders… and by the way," Kaji said, pulling out a folder from the side pocket of the door. "This one has your school records, the transfer form, a few more documents, and your new school ID."

Shinji opened the folder and glanced at his ID. There it was, full name, age, year and section (Section 2-A), plus his mug shot, front and center. Below was the name of his new teacher: Misato Katsuragi.

"Who's she?" the young man asked about the teacher as he set the folder away.

Kaji smiled. "She's an old friend of mine," he said. "Don't worry; you'll be fine once you get to know her, and she's really a nice woman… and of course, you'll be having some nice classmates to get along with, but only if you can handle about introducing yourself."

"I can do that," Shinji said in a rather doubtful tone.

"C'mon… Cheer up. All that frowning isn't going to help your face."

Shinji forced his lips to form a grin.

"That's better," Kaji approved, but then he checked his watch. "Oh, shit. I'm getting late," he cursed.

The young man blinked. "What?"

"I'd better drop you off right there. The school's no more than three blocks away, and you should have enough time to get there before they close the gates."

"What about the other bag?" Shinji asked, worried about his duffel bag in the back.

"Don't worry, I'll drop them off at home," Kaji said as he pulled over to the curb and Shinji opened the door.

"Okay," Shinji said as he stepped out, hefting his school bag off the seat, and picked up the folder.

"Take care of yourself," Kaji said as the young man walked, and then broke into a sprint.

"Thanks for the ride! I'll see you later!" Shinji answered aloud.

* * *

><p>A hundred meters away, Madoka was running, a piece of toast still wedged in her mouth. She couldn't believe that she was indeed late for school, and worried that she might not catch up with Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki, whom she normally walked along with.<p>

Nearing the street corner, she was repeating the mantra _I'm late, I'm late, I'm late_ in her mind when, out of sight, a boy appeared right in front of her, and it was too late for the girl to stop in her tracks.

_NO! _

Madoka and the boy collided, forehead first, then both of them painfully landed onto their backs.

"Ouch… That hurts," Madoka whispered, gritting her teeth, not realizing her toast was gone.

"Owwww…" the boy moaned, rubbing his forehead, shaking off the pain, but his eye strayed at Madoka, who was groaning and doing the same thing instinctively, except he could see her skirt hiked up and thus could guess the color of her underwear.

Seeing this, Madoka quickly tucked her skirt, stood up and dusted herself.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked. He was wearing the school uniform, but she never seen him before. "I… I'm very sorry, miss."

"I'm… Okay," Madoka reassured him, but she was already blushing furiously, before she picked up her school bag and ran off.

As she put some distance between her and the dazed boy, Madoka was irritated to know that this boy indeed saw her panties, and indeed, this was the very first time a boy took such a dirty peek. _That pervert,_ she fumed, having heard enough washroom stories of dirty boys attempting to take a closer look at a girl's undies. _Who's that boy?_

* * *

><p>Back there, Shinji was blinking, wondering what in the world he got into as he watched the pink-haired girl run away as fast as she could. <em>Damn, <em>he worried. _It's my first day here, and I just bumped into a girl, saw her undies, and..._

Shinji got up to his feet, picking up his bag and the folder, and for a brief moment he glanced at the half-eaten toast that was tossed and skittered away from the girl; birds were now clustered around it, chirping as they pecked away nibbles from the edges.

_I'd better get going_, Shinji told himself. _I'll try to fix things… Better apologize to that girl, whoever she is._

* * *

><p>"What took you so long?" Sayaka Miki asked Madoka, who looked embarrassed while Hitomi Shizuki looked on as they sprinted together, the school now a block away from where they were.<p>

"Crashed into a boy," Madoka answered.

Sayaka and Hitomi blinked. "What? Who's he?"

Madoka blushed. "I… I don't know. He must be a transferee."

Both girls laughed and then cooed. "Wow! It could be the start of something very big!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Madoka asked, her eyes blinking.

Hitomi stared into the girl's eyes. "How does he look like?"

"Well… Aw, he has black hair, not dyed or long. He looks kind, though."

"He looks as if he doesn't harm a fly," Hitomi said.

Madoka frowned. "It's not like that! He… He took a peek."

"What, a _pervert_?" Sayaka exclaimed, completely surprised.

"I…"

"We'll see about that, mark my words," the verdigris-haired girl vowed with a clenched fist, cutting her friend off. "We'll find him."

"No, I don't want to see him hurt," Madoka suddenly pleaded. "I'm sure he'll apologize."

"What he did is unacceptable," Sayaka said, looking mean. "He must beg on his knees."

"Let me deal with him," Madoka said. "He doesn't look like a street thug at all."

Sayaka sighed, looking disappointed. "Ah… All right, it's your risk, Madoka, but if he turns out to be bad as I think, then he'll have his ass in Guidance."

Suddenly Madoka remembered her earlier dream, the eyes in her mind flashing back to the agonized face of the boy crucified in the air. Her mouth went slack for a moment.

"Madoka, are you okay?" Sayaka asked. "You look pale."

The pink-haired girl blinked twice. "I… Yes, I'm fine," she replied.

Sayaka and Hitomi smiled. "All right, we have to hurry up or they'll close the gates on us," the tomboyish girl answered.

* * *

><p>"So… You're Shinji Ikari, am I correct?" the gray-haired man asked, sitting behind the desk as he looked at the boy standing before him. Both were in the principal's office, after Shinji was directed by a teacher to see the principal first to show his credentials.<p>

"Yes, sir," Shinji answered.

"Can I see your papers?" the principal asked.

Shinji took a step forward, carefully placed the folder on top of the desk, before the principal picked it up and began reading the contents. As he did, Shinji's eyes glanced at the principal's desk nameplate: _Kozo Fuyutsuki, Ed. D._

"Have you got into any kind of trouble?" Fuyutsuki questioned.

"Uh… N… No, sir," Shinji nervously replied.

"Good," the old man said, nodding in approval. "You seem to have a very clean record in the past… But I note something else: is Yui Ikari your mother?"

Shinji sighed. "Yes, sir. But she died ten years ago. Why, sir?"

"Back in college, where I was once a professor, she once used to study in my class before she got married," Fuyutsuki said.

"Really?" Shinji asked, his spirits suddenly lifted. "You know her much, sir?"

Fuyutsuki nodded. "That's right, young man. But…" he trailed off, looking at the wall clock above their heads. "We'll talk about her later, okay? You have to get to class and have enough time to introduce yourself to Miss Katsuragi and your new classmates." The old man then stood up.

Shinji smiled. "Okay, sir," he answered, before bowing deeply. "Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure," Fuyutsuki replied, bowing in return.

As the young man walked away, closing the door behind him, Fuyutsuki sighed as he sank into his chair, waiting for the second transfer student who stood outside, and now was knocking on the door.

"Come in," Fuyutsuki called out.

The door opened slowly, and Homura Akemi walked in and bowed. "Good morning, sir," the girl greeted, her hand holding a folder.

Fuyutsuki rose up again and bowed. "Good morning, young lady. I presume that you are Homura Akemi, right?"

"That is correct, sir," Homura answered and she dutifully handed her folder over to Fuyutsuki, who received it with both hands.

* * *

><p>Shinji never got the opportunity to see the girl who had just entered Fuyutsuki's office, his mind focused on starting his first day in this school. He wondered what his classmates would be like, and how this Miss Katsuragi would regard him.<p>

The young man looked up to glance at the sign nailed above the door of the classroom: Class 2-A; just beyond was another classroom designated as Class 2-B. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a woman's voice called out from inside, and promptly Shinji opened the door and entered, to find 30 pairs of eyes trained on him, and a woman standing before him. She had long, midnight-black hair, an amiable expression on her face, and wearing a yellow blouse and skirt (the hem almost close to violating school regulations on attire for teachers).

"Good morning, Shinji Ikari," the woman greeted.

"Good morning, ma'am," Shinji replied before they bowed slightly. "You are Miss Katsuragi, am I right?"

"That's right, kid. What took you so long?"

Shinji looked glum this time. "Traffic jam, ma'am."

"I'll forgive you for that for today, and it's your first day here," Misato said, grinning, before she turned to the class at large. "Okay, class, let us allow your new classmate to introduce himself," she added, handing to Shinji a whiteboard marker, and the young man wrote down his name in full kanji. Once done he bowed a little.

"My name is Shinji Ikari, and I came from Odawara City, in Kanagawa Prefecture. I'm fourteen years old and… and…" He paused for a moment, trying to find something to add to his introduction, yet in his whole life he was insignificant as far as he was concerned.

"I have nothing else to say," Shinji finally said, causing the whole class to laugh aloud. The biggest gale of laughter, however, was produced by a red-headed girl five rows back from the front.

"What a blockhead," the girl almost said loudly between laughs.

In no time Shinji's face grew a blush, believing he'd just blew his first day yet Misato placed her hand onto his shoulder and whispered, "Stay cool. Don't worry, I'll try to get you through this first day, okay?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes, ma'am… Thanks," he answered as Misato pointed out at an empty seat that was assigned for him.

Once Shinji settled down onto the chair, hanging his backpack to the hook affixed to the side of the desk, Misato began the day by writing down the new lesson of the moment.

"Okay guys," she said, facing the class again. "Let's start out on English. Bring out your book and go to page thirty; we're going to focus on pronunciation and then a bit of vocabulary expansion."

Like any other kid at this moment, Shinji pulled out his new English textbook from his bag and flipped the pages.

* * *

><p>In Class 2-B, the entire class had to endure much of Kazuko Saotome's litany about being jilted yet… again.<p>

"Before we begin, I'll ask one question," Kazuko said, tapping the pointer on the palm of her hand.

The class, with Madoka included, blinked, wondering if their teacher still had her sanity intact. With nobody to contradict her, Kazuko continued.

"Do you like your eggs cooked or half-cooked?" she asked.

Again, no one offered to answer, and so Kazuko shot a glance at a hapless student who looked drowsy, as if he'd spent almost the whole night playing a console game.

"Mister Nakazawa, can you answer it?" she questioned the boy.

Blinking, Nakazawa stuttered out an answer. "W… Well, it… it's okay to do it both ways."

Kazuko slammed her palm upon her desk and exclaimed, "EXACTLY! Either way is fine! We're talking about how you want your eggs cooked, and it's wrong to assume this has anything to do whether a girl's hot or not!"

By that exclamation point, Kazuko snapped her pointer in half to express her frustration.

"Girls, I warn you not to date boys who insist on eating their eggs half-cooked!" she added, before going on to elucidate on this rather trivial matter.

Sayaka shrugged her shoulder, and turned to Madoka, who was seated behind her. "Not again," she said.

"Yeah," Madoka agreed, but in her mind she was still thinking about the boy she collided with, and the weird dream she had early this morning.

"…and boys, don't try to fuss about your eggs, is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boys agreed in a half-hearted tone.

"Good," Kazuko finally concluded, but added, "Today, I have a transfer student who will introduce herself. Will you please come in, Miss Akemi?"

The whole class blinked; this was something new. The boys hoped for a beauty, the girls wanting for a super-cool friend.

And the new girl opened the door and walked in with a purposeful stride. She looked aloof, her eyes distant and yet determined; her black hair flowed, glossy as raven's feathers and set in place by a black hairband. All that was enough to drive the chatter volume to excited levels.

Sayaka was stunned by this newcomer and exclaimed, "Whoa, she's hot!"

But Madoka blinked twice, her mouth agape at Homura, as her mind instantly recalled that odd dream.

_That girl… that's her! But… no way it's her!_

"What's wrong?" Sayaka asked. "You're talking about something."

"N… No, sorry, I got carried away," Madoka replied as she watched the girl stand straight before the class.

"Here you go," Kazuko said to Homura. "You can now introduce yourself."

Homura nodded. "I am Homura Akemi… Nice to meet you all," she told the whole class as Kazuko wrote down her name on the whiteboard for her. But the bespectacled teacher wasn't sure how her name was written properly, so she nodded to Homura and handed over the marker. The girl then wrote her name correctly, the students watching in stunned silence, before she faced the class again and bowed.

Seeing that her knowledge in calligraphy was correct, the class couldn't do but to give her a round of applause. However, Homura's determined facial expression hardly changed, as her eyes were now trained towards Madoka's direction.

Madoka, realizing that Homura was staring at her, nervously ducked behind a girl's head in front of her, before she groaned, unsure what to do.

"Well… Miss Akemi?" Kazuko asked.

"It's all right, ma'am," Homura said. "I have nothing else to say. Thank you."

* * *

><p>Back at Fuyutsuki's office, as he was working on a bunch of papers that he pulled out of the in-and-out bin, his phone rang. Promptly the old man picked it up.<p>

"Yes," Fuyutsuki said.

"Have they arrived?" the caller asked. He sounded cold, in a tone implying that he was all business.

Fuyutsuki nodded. "That's right. I've just talked to them before I sent them to their classes."

"Good. I'll ask Doctor Akagi to prepare herself and her staff to check the new arrivals. What about the other Children? How well did they performed yesterday?"

"Well," Fuyutsuki said, picking up one of the reports that was sent to him by a staffer. "Tomoe and Soryu has taken care of one of the anomalies in the northern district, while Ayanami and Nagisa finished off another target in the south. As always, they were able to recover the Cores intact, but for now three of them are still out in the field, hunting down any minions that may have escaped."

"I see," the caller said in approval. "As for the ones with potential?"

"We've narrowed down to a few others within the junior high department, yet I'm also receiving reports that there is a Candidate, a street girl who happens to be hanging around downtown."

"Who is this candidate?"

"We're trying to track this girl down, but our men have yet to catch up with her. She's too fast."

The caller groaned an incoherent monosyllable, and Fuyutsuki could picture him with his hands folded before his face while thinking.

"I assure you that they're doing their best," Fuyutsuki said. "Once we have her, we'll have to convince this girl to join us."

"That will be acceptable, but our time is getting shorter as we speak," the caller said. "We need to build up a sizable force that can soon deal with the Beast of Walpurga."

Fuyutsuki nodded. "I'm aware of those constraints, and again, we'll be there soon, Commander Ikari."

"Very well then. I'll summon you later for a conference later on," Ikari said before he hung up.

Once left in silence, Fuyutsuki sighed and went back to work, picking up a pen to sign a few more legal documents. As he wrote, he wondered what sort of logic that propelled Commander Gendo Ikari to summon his son and then press him to fight a war that seemed to grow vicious by the passing of days.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> I wrote this chapter after some brainstorming the potential of combining these two disparate shows into one crossover story, by looking for any elements that would mesh them together. In lieu of using the conventional Eva universe and for the sake of greater compatibility, I chose the Campus Apocalypse in its place because of the near-similarities with PMMM and (although I have yet to play it) Persona 3 and 4.

However, as much as interesting this exercise is, due to my hectic schedule I cannot be sure if I could add another chapter, at least not until I have enough free time and less distractions that can allow me to keep on writing, so comments and criticisms are accepted openly to see if there's anything else I could improve on or to add.

But I'll try my best to continue this and my other work, Light and Water.

Thank you and good morning. _J'ai ose._


	2. Making Acquaintances

By the time the class was dismissed for lunch, most of the students began arranging the desks and chairs to form them into small dining tables for the fellows to eat together, while others opted to buy food from the milk hall store (the cafeteria) downstairs.

Shinji was one of those boys who did the latter, as he bought himself two packs of tuna-filled buns from the vendor, punched in some yen in the vending machine to pick up a can of soda, went back and walked towards a vacant seat at the far corner and sat down. As he unwrapped and took out the bun, his new classmates came up to him and began to pester him with questions:

"How things are going back there near Hakone?"  
>"Do you have a girlfriend?"<br>"What clubs have you joined?"  
>"Hey, Ikari, why not join my club?"<p>

Flustered, Shinji Ikari blinked, unsure what to answer so he said, "Just give me time to think." He first turned his attention to a geeky-looking boy who wore glasses and had messy brown hair and freckles; this boy also held an opened bento box. "Okay, you first."

"Have you read the booklet given to you?" the geek asked as the others went back to their places.

"Uh, no… Not much," Shinji replied. "It's still in my bag. I suppose the rules here are just like in any other school."

"You should understand the system carefully, because things here are much different."

Shinji blinked. "How so?"

"Well," the geek said as he sat down and set his bento box on the desk, "For starters, every year has several _Prefects_ for all grades, from primary to high school; he or she's kind of a overseer who keeps an eye on the sections within their jurisdiction; it's almost like the system used in those _Harry Potter_ books. In fact, it's an entirely British system."

"Haven't read them, but I watched the movies," Shinji replied.

"Good," the geek approved. "So I think you might get my drift. They also patrol during vacant times, may issue penalties to anyone whom they catch red-handed, and they're under direct supervision by the principal, who does the hand-picking of new Prefects, and they answer only to him or to any of the teachers."

"Ah… I see," Shinji said, nodding.

"Of course, some of these Prefects are also members of the student council."

"Okay. Why are you telling me about this?"

"So that you have to be sure you be careful within this school." The geek then craned his heck sideways, as if making sure no one else was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Fortunately, however, not all of them are anal-retentive… I mean, strict. These might follow the rules to the letter, but if you talk to them the right way, they might even help you."

"I see… Anyway, what's your name?" Shinji asked.

The geek grinned. "Kensuke Aida, at your service, Shinji Ikari," he said, before extending his open hand to the other boy, and then they shook hands.

"What do you have for lunch? Sorry, but tomorrow I'll make my own lunch."

Kensuke adjusted his glasses before he looked down onto his bento box. "Oh, mine? Pork dumplings and an omelet… and oh, I forgot."

Shinji blinked. "What?"

"After lunch, I think we'll still have enough time for me to show you around, even to places where students aren't supposed to see."

* * *

><p>At the same moment, while eating lunch, Madoka and her friends were watching the other girls gather around Homura, pelting her with questions, when Hitomi remarked, "She's surely a mystery."<p>

"Hey, Madoka," Sayaka chimed in, clacking her chopsticks before pinching another morsel from her bento box. "Do you know her? Seems that she'd been staring at you ever since she arrived."

Madoka looked doubtful. "Well… Uh… But last night—" she said, but cut off when Homura unexpectedly stood up from her seat and walked towards them, carrying a manila envelope apparently containing some papers. Madoka was speechless, not sure how she would talk to this enigmatic girl, wondering what that girl would say.

"Madoka Kaname," Homura said. "You're the class health officer, right?"

The pink-haired girl blinked. "Wha… How did you know?" she asked, sounding unsure.

"Miss Saotome told me what you do here, so I ask for a favor: I need to check with Doctor Akagi, the school doctor."

"Why?" Madoka asked, a bit curious.

"To file my health records," Homura said. "I had heart problems in the past, but eventually I was operated on and since then, it's necessary that my health should be monitored closely."

Madoka nodded. "Ah,… Okay," she agreed before the girl rose and added, "Excuse me."

"No problem, Madoka," Sayaka reassured her. "We'll be sticking around, okay?" she added as the other two girls watched Madoka walked alongside with Homura, leading her out of the classroom.

Once they were gone, Sayaka whispered, "I have a feeling about that girl."

Hitomi had a double-take. "Like what? I mean, she's okay."

"In less than three minutes, she solved two of those equations faster than any of us here," Sayaka remarked, recalling the earlier math class that nearly taxed the minds of her classmates, before Homura went to the whiteboard and wrote down the solution. "And those were so darned hard, they must've picked out from the Tokyo University entrance exams."

"Akemi must've studied somewhere, like in an exclusive international school... Or even overseas; maybe in America or Europe."

Sayaka shrugged. "I'll never know, except this school produced members of the Diet, scientists and company CEOs in the past. So what kind of girl she is, anyway?"

* * *

><p><strong>ANGELS AND WITCHES: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE<br>**_An Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku X Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU Fanfiction  
><em>-_  
><em>**Chapter 2: Making Acquaintances**_  
>Written by soulassassin547 on 622/2011 19:22 a6/p6  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Who the heck was that girl?" Shinji asked, referring to the redhead who laughed and called him a blockhead. Although completely embarrassed, he managed to capture, in his mind's eye, the odd red plastic thingies on her hair and those haughty blue eyes.<p>

Both boys were walking around the sprawling campus, outside the school building. The spring breeze was cool, but what was more pleasing was the presence of cherry blossoms in full bloom, their petals flying and fluttering down to the ground. As they strolled around, Kensuke pointed out the buildings and facilities that were contained within the campus.

"The one who called you a blockhead? Oh, that was Asuka," Kensuke said. "Asuka Langley Soryu, if you want to be specific."

Shinji nodded. "Ah…"

Kensuke stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants. "You certainly don't want to mess with her," he said. "She's smarter than any of us, because she'd been from Europe, arrived here a year ago."

"Why?"

"She said she was on a scholarship grant to study here. But the problem is that she seems to pick whatever she wants to say; doesn't like to talk about her family or personal life."

"I see."

"In case you haven't asked, three of the Prefects haven't shown up for class today; two them are our classmates, and the other is from third year."

"Who are they?" Shinji asked. "Why they can't?"

"The first two are Rei Ayanami and Kaworu Nagisa," Kensuke said. "They're the only two who are quite a match for Soryu, but they had unusual hair color, though. Smart that they're exemplary guys, but they tend to keep to themselves. That other one is a girl; name's Mami Tomoe… and you know what's so special about her?"

"About what?"

Kensuke snickered. "She's the only girl in this school with the biggest _chest_. No kidding, Tomoe leaves the boys completely bug-eyed whenever they see her, especially when she's at the pool."

"I'm not sure about girls," Shinji said.

"Why?"

"Not quite interested in trying to find a date. All I have are crushes... It just that I don't know how or where to start."

Kensuke nodded. "Ah. Too bad, you could waste your entire school life if you can't."

"But… I haven't told you about this, but earlier I just bumped into a girl when I was almost running late."

The bespectacled boy laughed. "Who?"

"Dunno, but she has this pink hair tied up and had a piece of toast in her mouth when I accidentally crashed into her."

This time Kensuke laughed even louder. "That was Madoka Kaname," he said. "She's the class health officer right in 2-B. Quite frankly, she wears a heart on her sleeve, a straight, kind, nice girl. Never gets herself into trouble since kindergarten."

Shinji blinked. "How do you know she's so good?"

"She was once my kinder classmate back in the day. My dad's on good terms with her mom, because he's working at her company as an accountant."

"I see," Shinji said, but decided not to remark about the color of Madoka's underwear. Instead he wanted to see the school gymnasium.

"Good idea," Kensuke said in approval. "Guess I'd like to introduce you to Toji. He's my old buddy, and right now here's there, playing hoops."

* * *

><p>"Uh… Akemi," Madoka nervously said, looking perplexed. "The infirmary is that way."<p>

"I know," Homura answered.

Both of them were supposed to head to the infirmary, which was east of the campus, but instead they were walking to the west end. While they were walking eyes were following them, presumably awed at Homura's looks and the way she walked, as though the long-haired girl was some warrior princess from a far-off age.

Sensing that Homura could have something to say, Madoka asked, "Is… Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes."

This time they were alone, right on a walkway linking two of the main school buildings together, and then Homura paused in her tracks.

Madoka blinked. "What is it?"

Homura prepared herself, taking a deep breath, and then flatly said, "Before I explain, it would be better if you call me Homura instead."

"Okay," Madoka answered, nodding, and even then she was still nervous. "That's a pretty fancy name... Uh… Cool."

But Homura wasn't moved. Rather, she turned around to face Madoka and, in a cold voice, she said, "Kaname Madoka, do you think that your life is precious? Do you think that your loved ones, family and friends, are important to you?"

This time Madoka could only answer in a stutter; the girl was making her shiver. "I… I… Yes, I do. They're important to me."

Homura was as impassive as a brick wall. "Really?"

"Yes!" Madoka emphasized. "Do you think I'm lying? Why I should not tell you the truth?"

"I see," Homura agreed. "If they are, don't even think about becoming someone you're not supposed to be… If you do—"

Madoka blinked. "Do what?"

Homura shook her head, as if disappointed in Madoka's naiveté. "You could lose _everything_ you value, and what you love."

The pink-haired girl could only manage a gasp of bewilderment, her hands trying to clutch straws in the wind.

"Instead," Homura continued, her eyes looking into Madoka's. "I can only advise you to be yourself, Kaname Madoka. Don't ever change that."

Without saying anything else, Homura walked away, leaving Madoka behind, who was forced to ponder about the impact of the other girl's puzzling words.

* * *

><p>At the gymnasium, several students in PE uniform were playing basketball, passing the ball, dribbling and then trying to score hoops, their sneakers screeching on the polished wooden floor. Above the court was the flag emblazoned with the school emblem, along with the customary Japanese national flag.<p>

Once Kensuke and Shinji entered, one of the players, slightly taller than Shinji, wearing a blue jersey with his name and number on the back, and his hair neatly cut, saw them and gestured to his teammates that he needed to talk to Kensuke.

The young man then approached the duo and asked Shinji, "So… You're the new guy, aren't you? You made quite a scene, eh?" He was referring to the earlier yet rather embarrassing introduction at class.

Shinji nodded. "Yeah… Sorry if I'm a bit nervous."

Kensuke decided that it was time to introduce Shinji. "Toji, this is Shinji Ikari."

"Hi," Shinji said, smiling.

"I'm Toji Suzuhara, and I've been busy practicing for the interschool playoffs." The young man then offered his hand to Shinji and shook. "So what brought you here?" he asked, leading them to a bench by the sidelines, where they sat down. Toji then grabbed a towel from the bench and proceeded to wipe off the sweat from his face.

"My father sent me here," Shinji said.

Toji and Kensuke nodded. "I see. What he does for a living?"

Shinji sighed. "All I know that he's a biologist, but he never tells me what he's working on, even after I asked him several times."

Toji shook his head, but Kensuke said, "Working on a top-secret project, I suppose?"

"It's not like that… No, whatever," Shinji replied. "He's so secretive, and I don't know what kind of man he is."

"What about your mother?" Toji asked.

"She's dead."

The other two boys suddenly looked uncomfortable.

Shinji swung his feet from under the bench. "I don't know how, but she died ten years ago in this city. My uncle said it was an industrial accident or something, because she was also a biologist like Father."

"Ah," Toji said as he picked up a bottle of Gatorade and drank. "Are you the only child?" he asked.

"Yeah," Shinji answered. "I don't know, but after that accident Father sent me to my uncle and stayed there until now."

"How could you cope with that?" Kensuke inquired. "It sounds lonely."

"No… I was okay being lonely, as long as nothing could bother me."

Kensuke and Toji chuckled. "But, hey," Toji said. "Be glad you have made friends here in no time now, and oh, wanna join us to hang out at the mall later after class?" he offered, just as he saw one of his basketball teammates was waving a hand at him, indicating that he should hit the showers.

Shinji decided that would be nicer, as it would help him get a little more acquainted with the city's charms, so he happily answered, "Sure, why not?"

* * *

><p>In the Infirmary, Ritsuko Akagi was hunched behind the flatscreen monitor, poring through files and typing down notes. As the school doctor, her job was to carry out medical services to students, as well as making the occasional lecture on health, personal hygiene and sanitation.<p>

Her assistant, Maya Ibuki, was just as busy and dressed in a nurse's light pink, well-starched uniform, keeping the whole place in order as she went through the filing cabinets, straightening out the folders.

"Have they arrived?" Maya asked, referring to the 'candidates' that they sought after.

Ritsuko nodded, glancing at the wall clock. "That's right. The Commander called me while you were gone."

"Ah…"

But before Ritsuko could continue, both women heard the knocking on the door. "Come in," she called out, to see Homura enter the room, stood before her desk, and then bowed.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Akagi," Homura said.

"Good afternoon, Miss Akemi," Ritsuko answered as she stood up and returned the bow. "I've been expecting you, am I correct?"

"Yes," the young girl replied, before handing over to Ritsuko her medical records. The doctor then went back to her seat and took out the folders from the envelope and began reading. As she did, Ritsuko told Homura to sit down and feel comfortable.

After a minute or two, Ritsuko said, "So… You were born with a congenital heart disease?"

"That's right, Doctor," Homura said. "I had a septal defect."

"Known as a 'blue baby'," Ritsuko added. "Although you were immediately operated on a few weeks later, you were known to have some cases of quick exhaustion, which led to a secondary operation when you were ten after you developed a complication."

Homura nodded. "I was able to have that operation when someone gave my parents the money for it, because at the time they were hard-pressed."

Ritsuko blinked. "That's wonderful. Who, or who were your donors?"

Homura shrugged. "I don't know. They never told me."

The blond-haired woman nodded. "I see… So your parents died in that tsunami five years ago, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry for your loss," the lady doctor said.

"I accept that fact, Doctor," Homura replied. "I can cope with it."

The doctor then stood up and said, "Anyway, I think it's all right for me to give you a physical checkup. Is it okay?"

Homura nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

Ritsuko led Homura to the nearby bed, where she took off her uniform, down to her underwear, sat down on the bed and let Ritsuko examine her breathing and heart rate with a stethoscope. Satisfied as she wrote down her findings on a clipboard, Ritsuko then asked Maya to reach for the lancet and two glass slides.

"I need a blood sample or two from you, Miss Akemi," Ritsuko said, as she laid the items on a stainless steel table.

"That would be fine, Doctor," Homura said as she offered her hand, to let Ritsuko prick her fingers and let the drops of blood land on the slides. Once that was done, with Maya securing the slides with a thinner piece of glass, before she placed them in a small Styrofoam container, wrapped and sealed with plastic, labeled with warnings and the description of its contents. The young nurse then went to a small refrigerator and stored the container inside.

"In case you wonder why I have to do that," Ritsuko said as she watched Homura dress up, "It's that should you have an injury or anything goes wrong, we can find the correct blood type for you."

But Homura didn't need to ask any further questions, or openly doubt the purpose of that seemingly harmless procedure, yet she wasn't aware of its greater implications.

"Okay," Ritsuko said, breaking Homura's reverie. "Now I'll need to check on your eyes by having you go through the eye chart."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, still resting after her lunch and sitting at her desk, Asuka Langley Soryu wondered about the scene Shinji made earlier this morning. She snickered, quite amused at the boy's clumsiness as he struggled to introduce himself before the class.<p>

_He'll be fine_, Asuka thought as she flicked her red hair, _going along with the oddballs._ She was referring to Kensuke and his pal Toji, who was practicing at the gym, and those two often got marked for some of their hijinks.

Everyone knew that Asuka, apart from the smartest among the lot, was also a very confident girl, and that nobody tries to mess with her being one of the leading Prefects.

But even now she was under Kaworu Nagisa's command, holding the title _Head Boy_, and thus responsible for all the prefects within the second year, and that strange girl, Rei Ayanami, was his second-in-command, the designated _Head Girl_.

Well, she wondered about the true relationship between those two, and she even gone so far to ask, but they said nothing, as if they wanted to keep it a secret.

Right at this moment, and because she elected to remain at school today to exercise her authority, Asuka wondered how they were doing out in the field, as she knew that for the past three days they conducted operations against the Witches, including yesterday where she was with those two and Mami Tomoe, as they made a raid at a suspected Witch hiding in an industrial complex outside the city.

Again, Asuka could only envy at Mami, who, apart from having those angelic looks and those golden, curly locks, undisputedly possessed the biggest chest in campus. God knows what her mother really looked like, but Asuka knew well that years ago Mami's parents died in a freak highway accident involving an 18-wheeler cargo truck on a rainy day, and that girl was the only survivor.

The mere thought of parents, however, caused Asuka to grimace, trying to forget the fate of her own parents. So the only recourse she could do was to pull out her phone and began to dial up Kaworu's phone, pressing a key to speed-dial the number.

* * *

><p>For Kaworu Nagisa, seated in front, he was a bit disappointed that their follow-up operation left them empty-handed. They were heading back to Headquarters in their black Toyota Prado SUVs on the expressway cutting through Mitakihara City.<p>

Earlier he phoned Fuyutsuki and told her that, due to their absence and thus missing their morning classes, he and Rei had no problem by making it up with a very informal night session with Misato Katsuragi, their homeroom teacher when off-duty. He also informed the old man about the current status of their fruitless operation, and he ordered them to return to HQ.

Suddenly his phone trilled, vibrating in his pocket, and Kaworu pressed the button on his Bluetooth-enabled headset and spoke, "Hello."

"It's me, pretty boy," Asuka said on the other side. "How's it going?"

Kaworu shook his head, the mess of gray hair dancing like strands of grass in the wind. "We're heading back, as we found no further signs of infestation. I suppose that they must been regrouping somewhere, but that doesn't mean we're lowering our guard now."

"I see," Asuka spoke. "What about her?" she asked, referring to Rei.

"She's minding her business."

"I'm sure she's reading that book of hers."

Kaworu chuckled. "Any news at your side so far?" he questioned.

"We have a new pair of transferees today," Asuka reported. "One here, a boy, and a girl at 2-B."

Kaworu grinned this time. "That's wonderful news. Who are they?"

"Uh… Our new classmate is Shinji Ikari, and he came from Odawara. Some clumsy dude."

"I know that place," Kaworu said. "The city you pass by before you get to Hakone."

"Right," Asuka agreed. "As for 2-B, Miss Saotome's newcomer is a girl named Homura Akemi. She said she came from Sendai."

"Homura… Akemi," Kaworu repeated the words, as he tried to imagine what that girl appeared to be. "How do they look like?"

"Want a picture or two?" Asuka offered.

"Sure," Kaworu agreed. "Send them to me."

In less than twenty seconds he received the pictures, snapshots from Asuka's phone, and looked closely: one was a boy with black, clean-cut hair, and a doubtful expression on his face; another quick, passing shot was a girl with waist-length of midnight-hued hair, as she sported a stern look.

"That's them," Asuka said. "But I want to ask something."

"Shoot," Kaworu said. "Go ahead."

"Does their arrival have something to do with us?"

Kaworu looked up at the ceiling for a moment, pondering, before he answered, "Most likely, as a few days ago the Commander was talking about adding a few more to our ranks."

"I doubt those two," Asuka said. "They look unlikely to be possible Candidates."

"We'll never know unless Doctor Akagi confirms their DNA sequence," he said. Kaworu was referring to one of the few effective methods of confirming the authenticity of a Candidate, but a Candidate cannot join the ranks not until they were properly trained.

"All right, then, we'll see to that," Asuka spoke. "See you later, guys."

"No problem," Kaworu said before Asuka cut off the line abruptly.

"Well?" the agent driving the SUV asked. Wearing a black three-piece suit, he had a crew cut, a stony look on his face, and his eyes – protected by a pair of classic aviator Ray-Bans – never took off the sight of the road ahead as he weaved through early afternoon traffic, before he found the exit ramp off this expressway.

"We're done with today, Agent Kanzaki. Get yourselves some rest until we find another Witch on the radar screen."

Agent Tsutomo Kanzaki nodded. "Sure, no problem, Mister Nagisa… and by the way, I still wonder where the hell they all coming from, popping out of nowhere like damned mushrooms."

"We are still trying," Rei finally spoke, breaking her self-imposed wall of silence as she put down the book she was reading.

"As in trying to understand who these bastards are and for what no-good they're up to, other than raising hell all over," Kanzaki said. "Chalk in some unexplained abductions and suicides, and the rising number of missing people in the last six months, and already some locals are becoming scared. I even overheard at the sake bar some night ago that they're talking about moving out."

"Of course, rumors," Rei added. "Hence our duty to suppress, if not totally eradicate, the enemy."

"Which is why it's important, more than ever, that we need more Candidates," Kaworu said. "Just four of us, and even with our best skills, all that is not enough to deal with the Witch threat."

"Yeah," Kanzaki sourly agreed, as if expressing his sense of weariness, before he sighed. "Those shitbirds are getting stronger… and by the way, where's Kyubey?"

Kaworu blinked, as he nearly forgot that strange cat-like creature. "Him?"

"Yeah."

"I have no idea… He must be scouting somewhere," Kaworu admitted. "I let him loose after breakfast to sniff around." He then pressed a button on his phone and waited for the creature to pick it up by pressing a button with his paw, as Kyubey had a tiny mobile phone that hung around his neck, much like a cat charm.

"Hello," Kyubey answered. "You're wondering where I am?"

Kaworu chuckled. "You're such a mind-reader, my friend, but yes."

"I'm at the western district, looking around Sakura Mall."

"I see. Any signs?"

"Some traces, but I'll look closer."

This time Kaworu nodded in approval. "Good. Keep it up, and should you see anything suspicious, call us, okay?"

"No big deal," Kyubey answered.

"Oh, furthermore… This is a nice coincidence, but Mami's heading your way," Kaworu said. He knew that Mami told him earlier that she needed to scour the western district on foot, and he obliged her by dropping the girl off before the convoy moved to the south.

"That's good. I could use some help."

Kaworu smiled; this creature seemed to be so confident most of the time. "We'll see you later, okay? Stay safe."

"Okay," Kyubey answered before he hung up.

Kaworu then turned to Kanzaki and said, "He's looking around at the mall."

"Ah," Kanzaki drawled. "You want to come down there?"

"Later, after classes," Kaworu decided. "Besides, Rei might want to buy a few more books… assuming we don't have a nasty encounter on our hands." He then laid back and thought of something else, about the troublesome girl that Commander Ikari wanted them to search. Kaworu had the description in mind: dark red hair, wearing street clothes, and said to have a stick of Pocky dangling in her mouth.

_Who was she?_ Kaworu questioned himself.

"Do you worry something?" Rei asked, snapping Kaworu out of his thoughts.

The gray-haired boy shook his head. "No. I'm thinking about the girl we're asked to find."

"The one that the Commander asked the other agents to hunt down… er, find?" Kanzaki asked, correcting himself, before he groaned. "That girl, they said, was slick as an eel, able to escape before we could get closer… Well, maybe I think you kids could deal with her much easier than we do; after all, she's probably around the same age as you are."

Kaworu nodded. "We'll see to that," he avowed, eyes narrowing as though their quarry isn't someone they could take lightly. "Even if she's possibly dangerous."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Sorry for having to hold down for too long due to real-life concerns (and that I had an intense fixation on Macross Frontier after watching it all, except for the second movie), as they took much of my time away from writing and brainstorming. Although I started on this chapter in mid-May, it's only more than a month that since last night I was able to get my groove back and continue where I had left off.

Now I have to work on the next chapter of Light and Water. Thank you for following me this far.


	3. Come Together

Somewhere in the outskirts of Mitakihara City, in a dark place lit only by torches and candles, two men were conversing over the table. They drank their beer halfway, and they each held a lit cigarette. One man had long, grey hair, a winged tribal tattoo inked onto the back of his neck; he also wore a Buzz Rickson bomber jacket and black jeans, with Doc Marten boots; all in all he resembled the typical rock star.

The other man wore a three-piece Cerutti charcoal suit and handlasted Church leather shoes; he looked older than his companion, with age lines and stubble on his chin, but his hair was cut in the traditional style of the salaryman. Thus this personage appeared to be more of the leader, the bankroller, and the mover and shaker, thus they called him the Banker.

Both men, apart from having bright red eyes, had their automatic pistols on the table, ready just in case, but to be used only when they have to deal with regular armed opposition; it was a standing rule within their cabal that the use of supernatural powers against law-enforcement officers could compromise them completely, and thus punishable by death.

The first man, the rocker with the leather jacket, sighed. "Damn," he muttered. "Just as we're getting close, those hunters are trying to shut us down, and already we lost three of our Witches."

"Why worry about only those three?" the second man in the banker's suit said.

"They're the most productive," Rocker answered.

"But also the weakest," Banker added. "Not to worry, we can produce more."

"All right, I must be too damn cocky, brother," Rocker regretfully said, pausing to take a swig of his beer. "Should've never lowered my guard in the first place."

"To err is human, yet in our case we can only commit a mistake once; we cannot afford to have another."

"I know that. Tell me, what better we could do instead?" Rocker asked. "After all, you're the brains of this enterprise."

"As I said before," Banker said, "we need to get more hosts until we have enough power to summon Walpurga out into the open and to seize what Ikari is guarding in his fortress. Got it?"

Rocker nodded. "All right. Got the message, and while we're at it, I'd say it's time that we have to deal with those Children by our terms."

Banker chuckled. "Oh, boy, Ikari's little crusaders," he mused, before turning serious. "We still have the numbers in our favor, and they're only a handful."

"They're still human," Rocker said. "That makes them vulnerable, but we'll have to figure out what sort of kryptonite we should shove into their asses."

"That's right, so you and your men must find their weaknesses and exploit them," Banker said, before he leaned towards Rocker and added, "Remember that Achilles, in the end, was a heroic fool because he left his heel unprotected."

"What about Plan B?"

"Do whatever it takes to stop them from interfering with our affairs."

* * *

><p><strong>ANGELS AND WITCHES: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE<br>**_An Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku X Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU Fanfiction  
><em>-_  
><em>**Chapter 3: Come Together  
><strong>_Written by soulassassin547 on 7/11/2011 22:50 a7/p7  
><em>

* * *

><p>The class now in session, Shinji had his textbook laid out on the desk, a notepad to the right with a pen ready, as he listened to Misato, who lectured about the attempt of the Mongols to capture feudal Japan with an immense invasion armada larger than that of D-Day.<p>

His eyes went from his notes to gaze at Asuka, who looked disinterested yet maintained her attention. It seemed to him that she knew much already, given the air of aloof disdain she displayed since lunchtime.

Shinji shook his head, knowing that trying to date such a girl would be as easy as a coalmine worker asking the hand of the Emperor's daughter, but just as he was about to scribble down the reasons why Kublai Khan's invasion failed, they all heard the knocking on the door. Misato walked towards the door and opened it, letting a boy and a girl in, each carrying a school bag.

He gasped at their rather beautiful appearances; they sported unusual hair colors of gray and blue, had smooth complexions, and walked with a graceful gait more befitting to royalty. They approached Misato and whispered a few words, before the older woman nodded, understanding the reasons for their tardiness.

"That's them," Kensuke chimed, the bespectacled boy leaning from his seat on Shinji's right side as they watched the couple settle down to their assigned seats and pulled out their own texts. "That's Kaworu and Rei."

"I see," Shinji answered, in a voice low enough not to disrupt the class. "Why they came so late?"

Kensuke shrugged. "I suppose they must've come from somewhere, doing extracurricular stuff, you know what honor students do."

Shinji nodded, but this time his mind wandered, thinking of that girl named Madoka Kaname. He hadn't seen her yet, not even during lunch or while Kensuke and Toji toured him around to see the rest of the campus, introducing him to other teachers or acquaintances. They were undeniably amiable, lest something goes wrong, but otherwise Shinji felt that this school might be better than the last one he left, one where he was a complete nobody.

The young man sighed, trying to picture that girl once more; she stood a few centimeters less than he was, as he replayed the scene they had early in the morning. Finally, by the tone of her voice, she sounded more sympathetic than hostile, the kind that could make beggars cry in joy.

Quickly Shinji shook his head, deciding that he was distracting himself, and instead he has to sit through this class until he and his new friends hit the mall afterwards.

* * *

><p>Having done with explaining and lecturing, before issuing the class a quiz they have to solve, Misato settled onto her seat at the desk and thought of the earlier conversation she had with Kazuko at the hallway, as both of them were happy about their new pupils.<p>

"_Miss Akemi's really impressive," Kazuko said, holding a warm can of UCC coffee. "I didn't expect someone like her to be so smart, as it seems she had a ready answer for anything I give to her."_

_Misato grinned. "Lucky you," she said. "I'm okay with Ikari. He's quite the quiet one, but already he has some new acquaintances."_

"_I see," Kazuko said after chugging a mouthful of coffee. "However, Akemi has yet to make some friends, because she doesn't seem to smile at all. I mean, she's serious. Do you think it's a problem?"_

"_Well," Misato replied. "I don't think so as long as she's diligent, you know some students are."_

"_Still, even if she's probably the best in years, I have to keep an eye on her because of her behavior," Kazuko said. "Anyway, how's your love life going?"_

_Misato blinked. "Me?"_

"_Yeah, with that Kaji guy."_

"_Oh, I'm not sure about him, even if…" Misato trailed away, making a face._

_Kazuko sighed. "I've been dumped. Again."_

"_Why? I thought you were okay with that Hayamoto." _

"_The idiot was too mindful of his damned eggs," Kazuko said sourly. "That spoiled bastard. Could you help me this time?"_

"_Like finding a new date?"_

"_Yeah, that's right."_

Misato shook her head. Poor Kazuko, it seemed that even up to now she wasn't much lucky with men that she was now asking her to act as a matchmaker, so where to look? Certainly she knew two places: either within the faculty or at the bar.

On the other hand, she thought of the Children under her command, especially Mami Tomoe, who hadn't showed up yet to report personally except she called up over the phone and told her she needed to check out Sakura Mall at downtown. To be sure, Mami told her she didn't came to the mall to hang around like a delinquent.

"_We haven't covered that place yet," Mami said. "I mean, isn't it possible that some Witches could appear at certain times or whatever?"_

"_I think so," Misato replied. "Doctor Akagi and her team scratched the surface so far about their physiology and behavior. These Witches, although they're the same in purpose, each one of them is unique. The problem is how and where they came from, and if possible, who or what's responsible for their creation."_

"_I see, Sensei," Mami said. "I'll keep an eye as I go around so that I don't miss a chance of bumping into one of them."_

"_Sure, I wouldn't mind about you skipping class for that, but when you get home, I'm afraid you'll have to make up for all of you missed for one day."_

_Mami groaned. "All right," she replied. "I'll see you later, Sensei."_

"_Be careful out there," Misato said before Mami closed the line._

Now Misato had something else she needed to do. She excused herself, telling Hikari Horaki to hold the line for her, walked out to the other classroom belonging to 2-B and knocked on the door. Peering in, her class was in the middle of learning English.

"Oh," Kazuko said upon seeing Misato waiting by the door. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah," Misato answered. "I need to speak to Miss Homura Akemi for a moment."

Kazuko then turned her attention to Homura, who had her textbook open on the desk, and said, "Miss Akemi, Miss Katsuragi would like to speak to you."

Without hesitating, Homura stood up and walked up to the door, and asked, "Pardon me, ma'am?"

"Come with me to the faculty room," Misato said. "We need to discuss something very important."

Homura blinked. "Why?"

"I can't tell you," Misato said as they walked away.

* * *

><p>On the other hand, Madoka was still bothered by Homura's last statement an hour ago, as she watched the newcomer walk out of the classroom, having summoned by Miss Katsuragi.<p>

Right now, Miss Saotome's lecture was concerned about the differences between verbs and adverbs. Learning English, most students had conceded, was a completely alien experience in which they rarely used the language in practice, with only a few being conversant with its use, and about the only time they actually utilized English was whenever they had any exchange students who knew little Japanese.

Like most, Madoka understood a little English, and thus unhappy about learning its complexities, but hearing it from time to time whenever she and her pals watched a subtitled Hollywood movie or an amusing video on the Internet. Her generation also wore clothes with completely random English words printed on, sometimes with four-letter expletives that would've shocked foreigners.

"Say, would you like to come with us at the mall?" Sayaka asked in a low voice as she leaned towards Madoka.

The pink-haired girl nodded.

"Great," Sayaka said, smiling. "I heard there's some new stuff at HMV." She was referring to the popular record store.

"Uh…" Madoka mumbled. "I don't think I have enough money to buy even one disc. Why don't we try to listen to the new discs after eating hamburgers?"

"Good idea," the other girl approved, before giving her friend a wicked grin. "Maybe we'll pester Hitomi to chip in, eh?"

* * *

><p>Instead of using the faculty room, Misato brought Homura to one of the unused rooms in the building, as they were utilized by the multitude of school clubs. This particular room belonged to the Mystery Detective Club, and fittingly its walls were decorated with the portraits of fictional sleuths, including Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and even the whole cast of <em>CSI New York<em>. A single large window afforded a view of the city skyline out in the distance, just beyond the trees.

With nobody to disturb them, Misato closed the door, before she offered Homura to sit down on one of the chairs.

"Are you capable of keeping a secret?" Misato asked.

Homura nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"In this case, what I'm about to tell you should not leave this room, and you cannot tell this to anyone. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

Misato sighed as she sat down on another chair and said, "Since you have received the letter, and I'm sure you know what it told you, you have been selected as a Candidate for a special project involving young men and women like you."

Homura blinked. "What is it all about? Why I'm called a Candidate?"

Misato crossed her arms. "First of all, your genetic composition is very unique in that only a dozen among a billion have this anomaly, and in your case it's partly because of your congenital defect you suffered while as a child. Second, this anomaly is considered a counterpoint to the threat we're facing, and as such you have to be trained for combat."

"Combat? What do you mean?" Homura questioned, sounding skeptical this time. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Misato stood up and said, "This war is raging for centuries, and for the most part your predecessors were able to suppress the threat effectively. But now, with our changing society, events and things becoming out of control, our enemy is becoming stronger as we speak, and they've concentrated most of their efforts here."

"A war…" Homura trailed off.

"Yes," Misato said. "Our enemies are Angels and Witches, and if we can't stop them, it's the end of human existence as we know it, which is why you are a Candidate, and if you succeed in passing our tests, you'll become one of the Children."

"_Children_?"

"That's right," Misato confirmed. "The Children have the power and the ability to match these Angels and Witches, and our training regimen will show you how to utilize these powers, as well as the opportunity to learn more about your opponents. In your case you have potential, and according to Doctor Akagi, whom she and her team analyzed your DNA... She said although they're determining what main ability you have, you possess the strongest potential."

Homura said nothing, her thoughts were spinning wildly as she never thought she would be involved this far.

"Wait a minute," Homura said. "What you're saying are all true?"

"Yes," Misato said.

Homura shook her head. "You could be joking. I came here because of the scholarship and I took that offer, not for what you're saying."

Misato looked disappointed. "But..."

The young woman turned to face the woman and glared. "I cannot believe you, ma'am," she said. "Not unless you prove me wrong, and whatever monsters you describe about truly exist. Until then, I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your offer to join because you don't have anything to convince me."

And Homura abruptly left the room, leaving Misato behind.

* * *

><p>The enigmatic Kyubey prowled the darker parts of Sakura Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in the country, covering every square meter of its three basements, trying to seek out any possible presence of a Witch.<p>

At first glance the creature resembled a cat, but upon closer look he had the physique of a hairless cat shaped out of white marshmallows, with his back sporting a red circular tattoo, and a very thick, long tail; on his head was an extra pair of very long and floppy ears, both of which adorned with a golden earring. Furthermore, his mouth seemed to have a permanent smile affixed on, and thus not even affected by any form of distress. On his neck and dangling from a red collar, was a voice-controlled, miniaturized cellular phone, about the size of a typical cat charm and shaped into a silver heart; whenever he needed to make a discreet call, Kyubey had the Bluetooth-enabled headset clipped onto the lobe of his left ear.

As for his origins, how Kyubey came to be part of the organization was a very long story, a story that he can only tell to those capable of seeing him, and only a handful knew where he came from.

Suddenly, Kyubey's nose twitched (if there was a nose), causing him to pause and slowly look around with his unnaturally round red eyes and a specialized olfactory sense, trying to locate his quarry. This was a skill where Kyubey was better at, as his senses were highly evolved to the point he could pinpoint a Witch from up to six kilometers away, but even then his ability was slightly limited by outside environmental interference such as electromagnetic fields, naturally-occurring radiation, rain attenuation and changes in outside temperature.

_This doesn't feel right,_ the creature told himself, cautiously tiptoeing as he closed in, and stopped there, sitting right on the spot. He then willed himself, by breathing deeply, to concentrate all of his _Ki_ energy to generate an AT-Field around him, so as to lessen the possible damage he could get from an attacking Witch. Being a scout and an _Adepti_, he can only use the AT-Field to sufficiently protect himself against most forms of physical and energy attacks for up to twenty minutes, but unable to channel this power into an offensive weapon.

Such ability, Kyubey always knew, was only present in the small band of young men and women known as the _Children_.

At the moment, he allowed his mind, never to wander and be distracted, to concentrate only at seeking out the Witch, or at least its _Minions_, those who wander out of their main territory and set an invisible outpost.

_Just a hundred meters away,_ he finally thought. _Low-energy dark AT-Field emissions, which means there could be a Minion behind the wall._

_I think I'll wait and observe carefully, as long as I don't venture too close, _Kyubey told himself as he stationed at a hidden alcove made from a stack of corrugated boxes. Of course in case his situation becomes worse he'll have to call in the cavalry, including Mami's big guns.

* * *

><p>As soon as the school bell pealed at four in the afternoon, everyone at school filed out of the classrooms, relieved to be heading home or to hang out somewhere, or cram school for the terribly studious.<p>

Just as Shinji stood up and was about to pick up his bag, Kaworu Nagisa approached him and greeted, "Hi. You must be Shinji Ikari."

"And your name's Kaworu Nagisa, right?" Shinji asked as he watched the classroom being emptied until they were the only ones left.

"Yeah," Kaworu said, smiling. "How did you know my name? Ah, Kensuke must've told you."

Shinji nodded. "He did and gave me a tour around the grounds," he replied before Rei came to Kaworu's side and gave him a small smile.

"And you're Rei Ayanami."

"That is correct," Rei said. "We apologize that we have not been introduced properly."

This time Shinji chuckled. "No big deal," he said. "They call you as Prefects."

"That's our job here," Kaworu confirmed. "But we're not as terrible as some people think, especially when referring to the original British tradition."

"We are not disciplinarians," Rei said. "It is our intent to assist fellow students, as well as show the error of their ways should they make a mistake, and hopefully they learn from that lesson."

Shinji sighed in relief. _They're really okay guys,_ he thought, but also saw Kensuke and Toji waving at him, waiting in the hallway. The young man gestured back with four upraised fingers. _Give me four minutes, 'cause they're talking to me._

Toji nodded. _All right, a few more minutes._

"Oh, so you're waiting for them," Kaworu said, having taken notice of the boys waiting outside.

The young man nodded. "They're asking me to hang out with them at the mall."

"You mean at Sakura?" Kaworu asked.

"Yeah," Shinji answered.

It was now Kaworu's turn to laugh lightly. "We're also going there, too."

"I need to buy some new books," Rei said.

"Uh, looks like a great idea," Kaworu spoke as he hefted his bag. "Why don't we come along with you guys?"

Rei nodded in approval, but just as they were about to leave, Asuka stormed into the room. "What is wrong?" the blue-haired girl inquired.

"You two are coming with him?" Asuka questioned as she stared at Shinji with a piercing gaze, as if measuring him up.

"Of course, to the mall," Kaworu answered, blinking. "Is there a problem?"

Rei said nothing, but Asuka kept her eyes locked onto Shinji, completely frozen in place like a deer in front of the headlights.

"Asuka," Kaworu said. "Once in a while you have to accept for what he is. He's new, he's not sure about his place in this school, and as such, it's part of our job to serve as hosts and ambassadors; we have to put our right foot in the door."

Asuka sighed and nodded. "All right," she said, conceding to Kaworu's advice. "You'd better teach him manners, while I have to check the boutiques for a new dress to wear."

Once again relieved, Shinji turned his attention to his new buddies outside and gave them a thumbs-up. He felt better, as he never imagined he was able to gain more friends this time, especially the supposedly-strict Prefects.

_Even with Asuka feeling bothered about me, _he bemusedly told himself, _I think I'm going to like this city, and besides, it turns out they can let their hair down._

* * *

><p>Unknown to Shinji, Madoka and her friends had already left, heading to the mall by riding on a bus. After a few minutes they were now right in front of the building, a rather huge white-washed complex with a motif of pink cherry blossoms painted here and there, symbolizing the logo of the mall.<p>

They went inside, rode the escalator to the third floor, where their favorite fast-food restaurant was located. After buying hotdogs and drinks at the take-out counter, they settled down at an empty table and began to talk as they ate, with Madoka discussing about her cryptic conversation with the cold and mysterious Homura Akemi.

"What? What does that mean?" Sayaka exclaimed, after eating half of her hotdog and placing it down on the plate.

Madoka looked disappointed. "So you don't understand what's going on…"

"She's so strange," Sayaka said. "I mean, she's a hottie who could do almost everything, but, goodness, why she has to be weird talking like that to you?" She then gestured with both hands clawed as if holding something big. "Argh! How badly does that newcomer wants to be remembered? _Moe_? Is this _moe_?"

Sayaka then wrapped her arms around, like being in pain before crashing her head onto the table.

"Madoka," Hitomi asked, "Is this really the first time you met Akemi?"

Madoka thought for a moment, before she replied, "Well, hoping that I haven't lost my mind yet…"

Sayaka rose from the table and questioned, "What do you mean? Is there a side of you that's crazy?"

"Uh… I kind of saw her in my dream… last night," Madoka admitted, still looking unsure but emphasized with her upraised finger.

At first both girls said nothing as they sipped on their drinks, before they put both cups down and laughed out loud.

"Oh, my God! Madoka! You're unbelievable! You also want to be remembered, right?" Sayaka asked jestingly.

Madoka shook her head. "No, don't say I'm really, really concerned about this!" she exclaimed.

"Ah," Sayaka said. "I don't see any other possibilities. This must be fate!" She then clasped both hands as though in a prayer and added, "You met her after defying time and space! What destiny!"

"What happened in that dream of yours?" Hitomi inquired, still somewhat curious.

"Well," Madoka said, feeling doubtful. "I don't really remember it well, but it was a dream so strange."

Hitomi, however, thought otherwise with an optimistic smile. "Maybe you really have met Akemi before," she said.

Madoka blinked. "Huh?"

"Even though you may have forgotten about it," Hitomi said, "you still have an impression of her deep in your heart. Maybe that's why she appeared in your dream."

Sayaka added, "Don't you feel that's too good to be true? It's a total coincidence."

"Maybe you're right," Hitomi opined. "By the way, what about the boy you bumped into?"

"Him?" Madoka said, before she remembered the scene earlier this morning. "Oh! That new boy? I haven't seen him yet."

"Not even during lunch?" Sayaka asked.

"Well… Yeah, we'd been too busy, I think," Madoka said.

Sayaka sighed and grinned, warming up to the new subject matter. "All right, Madoka, tell me what does he look like."

Madoka began to describe Shinji's appearance from memory: the color of his hair, eyes, physique, and how he acted.

"…and I don't think he's bad," Madoka said. "It was really an accident."

Sayaka and Hitomi nodded. "Looks more like it than some sort of dirty pervert who would sneak up and play with your skirt," the tomboyish-sounding girl said. "I think you should be glad you're safe."

Madoka sighed in relief, but another thought came up. "I wonder what he's doing right now."

The other two girls laughed once more. "Why you're concerned about him this time? Got a crush on him, eh?" Sayaka inquired as she leaned close to Madoka's face.

The pink-haired girl blinked and blushed. "No! Not in such a way! I'm just curious about him, that's all," Madoka responded. Indeed, during much of the day Madoka's thoughts were nearly preoccupied with Shinji and Homura, and they were so distracting she came close to giving out the wrong answer on the whiteboard.

"Anyway, why don't you and Sayaka find him tomorrow, let him apologize and then maybe you and that boy get introduced properly?" Hitomi suggested. "That way, you don't have to be bothered about him seeing your undies, and I'm sure he's also just as bothered as you are."

Sayaka and Madoka nodded. "That's a very good idea," Sayaka said.

But then Hitomi glanced at her watch. "Oh, I think I have to go quickly. I don't want to be late. Excuse me, then. I have to leave."

With Sayaka and Madoka watching the girl then rose from her seat and picked up her bag, before stepping out. Sayaka asked, "Do you have any piano lessons, or dance classes?"

"I need to study how to serve tea the traditional way," Hitomi said. "Anytime soon we could be tested, yet I don't know how long I'll be able to study there."

Sayaka nodded. "Ah… It must be nice that you've been born into a middle-class family," she remarked.

Madoka stood up and said, "I think we should leave, too."

"Well, Madoka," Sayaka spoke. "We have to go to the music store and check to see if I have something very good to give to Kyosuke."

"Classical?" Madoka asked.

Sayaka chuckled. "Yeah, I'll get even just two discs for his sake, and I just hope he'll like me more."

* * *

><p>Downstairs, Shinji and his new friends came through the mall's big doors, and at the atrium, Kaworu said, "Rei and I will have to head to the bookstore, so that she'll buy her new books, so what about you guys?"<p>

"Say, why not we play some games at the arcade? I heard they just added new content to Tekken," Toji said, referring to the popular fighting game.

"I think I'll watch," Shinji said, but saw that Asuka, standing a few feet away, was uncomfortable about being left at the mercies of the boys.

"Asuka, you need something?" Kaworu asked, with Rei on his side.

The redhead sighed. "Yeah, while I check out the boutique, I think I need some extra paper pads," she said, walking up to the other pair and then whispered into Kaworu's ear: "I don't want to go with these… Stooges."

Kaworu blinked. "Why?" he whispered back. "We'll talk about that later, but for now I beg you that you must try to be friendly."

Asuka nodded before Kaworu turned his attention back to the boys. "After an hour, maybe we should meet at the food court downstairs for dinner and some talk," he suggested. "Is that okay?"

The trio nodded. "Sure," Kensuke said. "No problem with that."

Shinji glanced at his new friends and said, "I think it's okay."

"Good, and oh, I'm sorry if Asuka's still a bit down on you guys," Kaworu said as he pointed at his watch. "We'll see you later," he added, with Rei nodding before they walked away towards the bookstore.

Once they were left alone and heading to the game arcade, Toji asked Shinji, "Have you noticed how Soryu was looking at you?"

"I think she was annoyed," Shinji replied with a shrug. "I'm not sure why she's like that."

Kensuke shook his head. "She's not very comfortable with anyone who acts like a klutz, but she's cool with Hikari."

"Because they're strict, I suppose?" Toji chimed.

Shinji blinked for a moment, and then he said, "I forgot something… I already ran out of batteries!"

The other two boys blinked. "For what?" Kensuke inquired.

Shinji pulled out his SDAT player from the depths of his backpack and said, "This."

They blinked again, before Kensuke and Toji laughed. "You're still using that?" the bespectacled boy asked in jest.

"What wrong about me using it? Ten years and it's still working well for me," Shinji said defensively as he took out the spent batteries from the player and pocketed them.

This time they toned down to a muffled giggle and Toji said, "Why keep it? It would've been better if you were to use an iPod."

Shinji hefted the player on his palm. "No, I have this for a very good reason," he disagreed in a polite tone. "Do you know where I could buy some batteries?"

Kensuke nodded. "Sure, let's head first to HMV," he eagerly suggested.

* * *

><p>At HMV and with Madoka watching, Sayaka's fingers were rifling through the bargain CD bins for anything that could catch the fancy of her ear, but nothing much of value, she realized.<p>

"Ugh," Sayaka sourly remarked. "This bin is full of one-hit wonders. How boring they are."

Madoka took one of the discs and glanced at the cover belonging to a has-been idol singer, plastered with discount sitckers. "Yeah," she agreed, putting the disc back into the bin.

"Why don't we listen instead?" Sayaka asked, pointing at the bank of players where they could listen to some fresh new discs on sale, so they walked over there and picked up the headphones.

At the same time, with Kensuke and Toji waiting, Shinji asked the saleslady for a pair of double-A batteries, and she gave him a pack of Sanyos, before leading him to the cashier, where he paid. Just then his eye caught the glimpse of Madoka's pink hair as she was listening in to some Perfume.

"Hey," Shinji said. "That's her!"

"Whoa," Toji spoke in surprise, recognizing Madoka's hair. "You bumped into Madoka, right?"

Shinji looked hesitant. "Yeah, but—"

"My friend," Kensuke budged in, as Toji laughed. "This is the right time to apologize." Grinning, he then grabbed Shinji by the shoulders and turned him around.

"Don't be afraid," Toji said, excitedly taking hold of Shinji's back before pushing the hapless newcomer towards Madoka. "Deal with it!" he added.

"Okay," Shinji said and they let go. "I'll do it…. Must not run away… Must not run away," he mumbled as he walked cautiously.

Watching their new friend, Kensuke whispered, "Say, is that how he acts?"

Toji shrugged. "Dunno, must be his defensive instinct at work, but let's see how they could work it out. Gotta be the best thing we'll be witnessing today."

* * *

><p>Now Shinji was a foot away from Madoka, unaware of his presence as she was completely tuned to the music. He gulped hard, but tried to center himself by taking a deep breath, before saying, "Miss… Uh, miss?"<p>

Madoka turned her head around, to find that Shinji was right in front of her. She then blinked and gasped in surprise: "Huh?"

"Miss Kaname… I… I just want to…" Shinji stammered. "I want to apologize for what happened this morning." He then bowed deeply to declare his deepest apology for the public gaffe he caused.

"Is that _you_?" Madoka asked, still astonished, putting aside the headphones by hanging them on the hook.

Shinji remained rigidly bowed. "Y… Yes, I am. I'm sorry for bumping into you, and… and it's not my intention to see your—"

Cutting him off, Madoka held up her hands and said, "It's not entirely your fault. I'm also sorry that I didn't see where I'm going, as I was too worried about being late."

This time Shinji straightened himself and heaved a sigh of relief, but his cheeks were also flaming red.

"Who are you?" Madoka asked.

The young man bowed his head for a short time. "I'm Shinji Ikari from Class 2-A."

Madoka gave him a smile, despite the blush on her cheeks, before briefly bowing her head. "I'm Madoka Kaname, Class 2-B. How are you doing?"

Shinji chuckled, the weight on his shoulders now lifted away, and he liked the polite tone of her voice. "I'm okay," he said, bowing his head back for a second. "For me, nothing eventful today, except maybe for bumping into you, apart from getting used to the routine."

"What you are doing here, right now?"

Shinji pointed his hand at Toji and Kensuke standing a few meters away, who were now laughing as they watched. "I'm with my new friends."

Madoka nodded as the boys waved their hands. "I see. It's Suzuhara and Aida."

"You know them?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah. Suzuhara's a player in the basketball team," Madoka said, "and Aida's the vice-president of the school's computer club."

Just then Sayaka came walking and stood besides Madoka. "Who the hell are you?" the girl demanded, her eyebrows narrowed as if she was about to belt him a fistful, and her hands holding to her waist.

Shinji blinked. "I… I just came to apologize to Kaname for what happened this morning, as I was on a rush, fresh off the train."

Madoka said, "He's okay. I also said sorry to him, too."

But Sayaka questioned, her face remaining cross, "From where did you come from?"

"Odawara City, near Hakone," Shinji said.

Sayaka nodded. "I see… Anyway, what's your name?"

"Shinji Ikari. I belong to Miss Katsuragi's class in 2-A."

For a moment the two girls let his name register into their brains, before Sayaka said, now in an amiable tone, "Well, I guess now that the matter between you two have been settled properly, so what's going to be?"

Just then Kensuke and Toji walked over and stood along with Shinji, side by side.

"Hey, Shinji," Toji said in a congratulatory tone, repeatedly clapping his hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Looks like it's your lucky day!"

Blinking, Shinji turned to his new friend. "What do you mean?"

Toji leaned close to Shinji's face and said, "Hmmm… Seems that something's really good is about to happen between the two of you!" The duo then cooed and laughed loudly, much to Shinji's and Sayaka's chagrin, while Madoka's cheeks were blushing again.

"It's not like that!" Shinji exclaimed, before he turned to Madoka. "I mean, is it okay if we be friends?"

Madoka and Sayaka blinked. "Friends?" both girls asked in unison.

But Shinji, feeling uncomfortable with two of his new pals listening to every word he said, was swallowing hard again. "Well… Yeah."

Madoka turned her attention to Sayaka for a decision, but she realized that it would be all right if they have to be friends. The girl then smiled and said, "Okay."

"Hey," Kensuke said, "Why don't we meet up with Nagisa and the rest so that we could eat together?"

"You mean, getting to know each other?" Sayaka questioned.

"Yeah," Kensuke happily answered before adjusting his glasses.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the bookstore, Kaworu and Rei were perusing the books in the fiction section when Asuka came up to them with a small shopping bag in her hand.<p>

"Oh," Kaworu blurted. "What have you bought?"

"A sundress," Asuka answered, lifting her bag and showing its contents. "It's from the bargain bin. I thought of passing it up at first, but then I gave it a second look and picked it up, so I think it should look real good on me."

Kaworu nodded. "Ah, I see," he said. "We're just browsing, and Rei hasn't yet found something she wanted to buy. I don't care if she'll fill up her bedroom with more books, as long as she's happy about reading."

Asuka simply nodded. "Do I need to wait any longer?"

"No need to," Kaworu shook his head, as he pointed at his watch. "It's almost time," he said.

In a stroke of good timing, as Kaworu and the two girls walked away from the bookshelves, Shinji showed up before the trio, standing along with his new friends, and he looked glad.

"What brings you here, Kaname?" Kaworu asked in a friendly tone, recognizing her and Sayaka among them.

"We had a little talk, Head Boy," Madoka said.

Kaworu smiled, but noted that Asuka sulked silently. "I see," he said. "By the way, Madoka… Outside the school, I'll use your first name, Madoka, and use mine; just call us by our first names, not titles. Is it all right for you?"

Madoka nodded. "Okay… Kaworu," she replied, finding it unusual that people like Kaworu would rather be called by their first names, as opposed to tradition in which the surname is used more often should the relationship isn't intimate.

"Good," Kaworu approved. "I want to make sure we see each other more as equals," he added, before staring at Shinji. "Since I'm glad you made a lot of new friends, let's head to the food court so that we can congratulate you on your good fortune. Food's on me."

Asuka blinked as the others murmured in excitement, save for Shinji and Madoka, both of them a bit surprised. "What?" the redhead questioned the gray-haired boy.

Kaworu held an upraised hand, as if to reassure her that everything would be fine. "Don't worry, I'll handle this," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>Down below in the basement, it was more than an hour since Kyubey waited on station, observing the black energy emanating from the Minion's AT-Field, and realized that its power was slowly increasing as it expanded. If left unchecked it might as well develop itself into a Witch.<p>

The first thing he did was to call Headquarters to apprise them of the new situation, and get the Children ready for action. By making the call, his phone also acted as a transponder, transmitting to HQ his exact location determined by cellular site triangulation and GPS.

"HQ," Kyubey almost quietly said into the phone. "I need backup. We have a situation."

* * *

><p>As classes were over for the day, Misato was with Ritsuko in the school infirmary, talking about the newcomers while drinking coffee and watching Maya busy herself with the job of indexing the records in the file cabinet.<p>

Misato glanced at the wall clock. Five-twenty in the afternoon, and she could hear the athletics team practice outside as they ran around the track. She then turned to Ritsuko and said, "I've checked his records. It's the Commander's son, all right."

"What about his disposition throughout the day?" Ritsuko inquired, before lighting up a cigarette and puffed on it.

Misato took a sip of her coffee. "Basically, he's quiet, as if he had spent most of his life unnoticed. Fortunately, though, I observed that he was able to make new friends, so it's a good thing Kensuke's a people person."

Ritsuko nodded. "I see," she said. "How did it went? Your sales pitch to Homura Akemi, I mean."

"No, she refused," Misato said. "I'm sorry."

"But she has the right stuff to be one of the Children," Ritsuko answered, her cigarette halfway done as she flicked the white ashes on the ashtray. "She's strong-willed, and doesn't even flinch when I got a drop of blood from her."

"How can I convince her if she thinks what we're doing are fairy tales?" Misato said. "We don't take these kids simply by sweet-talking them. This Homura isn't to be taken lightly; she came here because of the scholarship, she's smart enough to know she can't be fooled, and she insists that we should give her any proof to convince her otherwise."

"Damn," Ritsuko muttered. "The Commander would be very unhappy if he hears about it, and I think she could be—" she was cut off when one of their mobile phones went off.

Misato blinked. "What the hell?" she muttered, picking up her phone on the desk and listened in. "Hello?"

"This is Fuyutsuki, Major," the man on the other end of the line said. "Kyubey has confirmed the presence of a Class 1 Minion two minutes ago. We have a Code Red."

Misato picked up her jacket draped on one of the chairs, and wore it. "Where is it?"

"Target has been pinpointed at Sakura Mall, in the third basement level. Nothing happening so far, except it's growing in strength."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Misato said, as she rushed out of the room, while Ritsuko gestured to Maya to follow her. "I think the Children are there with their friends."

"We're trying to make contact with them," Fuyutsuki said. "Just get the rest of the containment team ready in full gear!"

"Yes, sir!" Misato exclaimed.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Took me some time to envision where this story will be going, but I'm drawing on both storylines and trying to enmesh them into a single cohesive narrative, binding some of their best elements, including principles and concepts discussed, and altering some of the character roles, including that of Kyubey (although I'll try to keep their characterization as depicted in both originals and at the same time do a bit of development over time).

OBTW, forget about discussing _entropy_ here.

Anyway, I'll be fine with any intelligent comments and criticisms you may bring forward, so that I can do some improvements along the way. Thanks for adding this fic into your Story Alerts!


	4. Baptismal of Fire

Alone and seated at a table, Homura Akemi really had little to do after classes, except she was able to finish her homework at the far end of the mall's food court, which was by then completely crowded with patrons milling about, talking and eating.

As she drank her tea, Homura was very skeptical about Miss Katsuragi talking about angels and witches, and why they posed a threat to the world or whatever, thinking they were real only in the realm of fantasy.

Does that woman have any proof? No, and she dismissed the whole notion as ludicrous and a waste of time.

She wasn't buying her lie; she was here because she wanted to continue her education using the scholarship, not to become an exorcist of some sort. Furthermore, Homura could easily detect a lie at the way people speak, especially when she can read their faces or the movement of their lips or the manner of their speech.

Homura's mind wandered back at the last time she talked to Madoka; she forewarned her because of a dream she had months ago, and she wondered if that girl made sense of what she said.

However, just about she was to write down another line, she felt her bladder heaving and realized she needed to take a leak, causing her to stand up and look around to see if there was a toilet somewhere. She found one, and immediately she packed her belongings into the bag and walked fast.

In the WC, Homura found an empty stall, closed the door, set down her bag and pulled down her underpants before sitting down on the toilet.

As she let go, the girl thought of her past, of the last time she experienced the nightmare of water swirling around her, of hearing the screams, asking for deliverance as seawater pulled her through the rooms and corridors of what was once her home, before being caught in an undertow...

* * *

><p><strong>ANGELS AND WITCHES: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE<br>**_An Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku X Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU Fanfiction  
><em>-_  
><em>**Chapter 4: Baptismal of Fire  
><strong>_Written by soulassassin547 on 8/15/2011 4:49 a8/p8  
><em>

* * *

><p>Unknown to Homura, her classmates had sat down at an empty table, setting their food trays on the table and began to eat. As they did, the teenagers began to talk about their studies, and what other school work they would be facing tomorrow, before the conversation turned personal.<p>

"That was strange," Kaworu said after he listened to Madoka's explanation about her exchange with Homura. "Does she know you?"

Madoka shook her head. "No, and we had never met before, but it seems that she knows much about me."

Everyone else had their attention trained on her, listening closely, their meal half-eaten.

"Surely it's a long shot," Kaworu said. "But such an encounter cannot be dismissed."

The pink-haired girl blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps somewhere in your past you met her, and then you forgot it over time. Do you remember much about your time back at kindergarten?"

Madoka shrugged. "Barely much," she admitted. "Yet I know Kensuke is one of my classmates back then, so I don't know if I met Homura around that time."

"I see," Kaworu said, nodding.

"As you're a Head Boy, you probably know me much ever since I first came to school," Madoka said.

Kaworu smiled. "That's right, and as far as you're concerned, you're a people person, and you're the kind who's least likely to find trouble."

The compliment made Madoka blush. "Thanks," she said. "But there's something else I forgot to mention."

"What is it?"

"I had a dream… I mean, I actually dreamed of Homura," Madoka said, before she turned to face Shinji. "…And him."

Shinji was clearly surprised, blinking, as several pairs of eyes have now focused on him, causing his face to blush in a redder shade. "W… What?" he stammered. "I… I don't even—"

"Oh, my…" Sayaka mumbled in disbelief, before Asuka, Toji and Kensuke burst into laughter, doubling over, and then the burly boy clapped his palm on Shinji's shoulder.

"Holy… Man, you're full of surprises!" Toji exclaimed, much to Madoka's discomfiture as the girl generated a sweatdrop. "You're a newcomer here," he cheered, "and yet a girl has dreamed of you! Hooboy, she's your soulmate!"

Shinji tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. For the life of him, there was no way he could have met Madoka, nor he know of the girl named Homura Akemi, unless...

"Wait," Shinji said, the blush on his face vanished, and Toji and Kensuke shut up for a second.

"What? What? What?" Toji asked repeatedly.

The young man sighed and then said, "I've seen Akemi this morning, I think."

"Where?" Sayaka asked.

"At the train station, just as I got off on the platform," Shinji said, before he described Homura's appearance.

"That's her, after all," Sayaka said. "Yet… Hey, we forgot Madoka's dream."

"What did she dreamed of?" Kaworu asked, but he noted that Madoka was completely uncomfortable. So he held up his hand to hush everyone to silence, before in a gentle voice he told Madoka, "Tell me about what you've dreamed last night."

"I…" Madoka began, but just as she was about to speak further, Kaworu's phone trilled without warning, thus disrupting her.

Kaworu took the phone from out of his pocket and said, "Hello?"

"Katsuragi here," Misato answered. "We have a Code Red."

The gray-haired boy turned his attention to Asuka and Rei, who then nodded back in acknowledgement, before they stood and said, "Can you excuse us for a while?"

"Sure," Toji answered. "No big deal, but who's calling?"

"Can't say," Kaworu said as the trio distanced themselves away from the table.

Left on their own, Toji, Kensuke and Sayaka noted that both Shinji and Madoka, being silent and unnecessarily paired together, now couldn't bring themselves to confront each other, prompting the bespectacled boy to whisper to his cager friend, "You know, the more they try to do that, the easier for others to tease them..."

"Say," Toji said to Sayaka. "We're sorry for laughing."

"Me too," Toji added. "We thought it was funny."

But Sayaka stood up and said, "C'mon, Madoka."

"Where?" Madoka asked.

"I need to go to the toilets," Sayaka said before facing the boys. "As for your apologies, I'm okay." She then gave them a cross expression on her face.

Madoka nodded before she also rose from her seat and accompanied her friend to the nearest public toilet a few meters away. They left the boys feeling ashamed, especially Shinji, who had no cause for putting the pink-haired girl in such a tight spot.

* * *

><p>Just behind a square pillar, shielded away from their classmates, Kaworu and the two girls huddled around his mobile phone.<p>

"A Code Red?" Kaworu questioned.

"Kyubey has located a Minion down below this mall," Misato replied. "Where's Mami?"

"I haven't seen her yet."

"She should be here, but you guys better have to check it out, and try to destroy it," Misato commanded. "At the same time get Kyubey out of the mess."

Kaworu nodded. "Okay, we'll deal with it. What about backup?"

"We're on our way, and I've got the cleanup team with me."

"Good," Kaworu approved. "Where's the Minion again?"

"Three levels down, just beneath the car park."

"Thanks, and we're going," he said, before pocketing the phone.

"So?" Asuka asked as if she was eager for some action.

Kaworu smiled. "We have a situation on our hands," he said.

"Piece of cake, as usual," Asuka agreed, before they went back to the table to find only the three boys remaining there.

"Where's the girls?" Kaworu questioned.

"They went to the toilets," Toji said, before Shinji nodded wordlessly.

"Ah, I see," the gray-haired boy said. "Just wait here, we have something to check out."

"Where?" Kensuke asked, his face marked with wonder.

"Can't say, but take care of our stuff," Kaworu answered before the trio ran off towards the door leading down to the car park, leaving the boys dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>Just as she was finished urinating, and then pulling up her underwear and stockings, Homura's head snapped upward when she heard someone enter the WC, and then she recognized their voices as they chatted: Madoka and Sayaka.<p>

_What are they doing here? _Homura asked. Her eyes darted left and right, before she decided to eavesdrop on their conversation while trying not to make any noise.

"…and how dare they try to tease you!" Sayaka exclaimed, before she groaned. "Those boys…"

Homura blinked as she was listening attentively when she heard one of the girls opened the door to the other stall, flipped open the toilet lid and sat down; she could also hear underwear being pulled down and sounds of shoes tapping repeatedly on the floor.

"Hey, could you stand those boys?" Sayaka asked.

Urged by greater curiosity, Homura bothered herself to bend over carefully, keeping her hair away from the floor, bending low enough to see two pairs of feet, with one's ankles in black socks as she sat on the toilet, while another – wearing white stockings – took another empty stall, shut the door, pulled down her stockings and underwear, bunching them to her shoes, and sat down.

"I'm not sure," Madoka said. "But I really have nothing against Ikari."

Sayaka grumbled. "At any rate I have to protect you."

"Why? It's just that they're teasing; I mean, they're just boys, even if I'm shy about them."

"Geez, don't you know about Suzuhara, eh? That jackass is some maniac, hanging near the swimming pool while the girls are there in their suits!"

"I didn't know that," Madoka said.

"Sure you don't, because our class isn't there at other days; 2-A gets to use the pool on the MWF schedule."

MWF meant that section 2-A has the pool on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for two hours of physical education; alternately 2-B uses the facility on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, therefore they have a TTHS schedule.

"I see, but thanks... Sometimes I forget."

Homura then saw the first girl in the toilet pull up her drawers, before flushing the toilet, unlocked the stall door and walked out. Meanwhile the second girl took her time peeing, sighing in relief.

"Lately you're sounding a bit odd, you know," Sayaka said.

Homura could hear her twist the faucet on and began to wash and soap her hands, water splashing in the washbasin.

"Pardon me?" Madoka questioned.

"I mean, you seem to be so forgiving about boys like him. Are you getting soft?"

"Well… Sort of."

* * *

><p>At the same time a dozen SUVs and four eight-wheeler trucks, all painted yellow and marked as belonging to the so-called HAZMAT Section of the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, were roaring down the boulevard at full speed and with blinkers blazing, the mall being five kilometers away.<p>

The SUVs had armed containment teams riding in, while the trucks carried specialized hazardous/anomalous materials equipment, including one with a heavily-insulated tank inside the double-sided aluminum-skinned van, designed to hold up anything even small amounts of nuclear or toxic waste.

In the first SUV heading the convoy, Misato was riding shotgun up in front, suited up in black battle dress uniform fatigues, a bulletproof vest and toting an MP5 submachine gun on her lap; Misato's driver, Agent Kanzaki, was geared up in the same way, except for his SCAR-L assault rifle he stowed in the back.

The woman double-checked her USP automatic pistol, making sure that the magazine was fully-topped with ammo and the tritium sights zeroed properly. Satisfied, Misato squared away the pistol into her holster and stared out at the road ahead, with rush-hour traffic reluctantly clearing the lanes for them.

"How far we are?" Misato asked.

"Damn, we're at full speed," Tsutomo said as he shifted gears. "Did Kyubey tell us about anything else?"

"He has yet to report on the extent of that Minion's size or strength, but according to Makoto, he has some sensor data he had downloaded from the satellite and judging from that data, at last count its emission is around five-twenty kilowatts."

"So that's the power of that Minion, right?"

"Yeah," Misato confirmed. "Hence we're bringing in more isolation packs and a second generator to neutralize it before we can stick that creep into the container… assuming that thing maintains its size."

"For study," Tsutomo said.

"Right; Doctor Akagi still needs even a small sample to examine their overall physiology."

"But it seems to be a coincidence that the Children are nearby," Tsutomo remarked. "Not to mention with Mami coming to the party as well."

Misato made a face. "The odds may be stacked in our favor, but we'll be having possible collateral damage and, shit, civilian casualties."

"Given the size of this thing," Tsutomo said, "looks like we may have to pull out our Neuralizers once the party's over."

Misato nodded. "I'm afraid so, but only after we finish questioning any potential witnesses."

* * *

><p>The three Children were halfway down the stairs, to the first level of the carpark, when Kaworu took out his phone and dialed Kyubey.<p>

"Are you still there?" he asked in a voice low enough that Kyubey could hear and not give away that creature's position.

"Yes," Kyubey answered. "I'm giving an estimate on this Minion's strength."

"How much?"

"520 kilowatts. Not too substantial but still powerful enough to light up a village."

"I know that," Kaworu said before he breathed deeply and turned to Asuka and Rei, who were looking around, making sure the coast was clear. "Any sign of life here?"

"We're the only ones here, so far," Asuka said. "Where the heck is Mami?"

"She has yet to report in," Kyubey said. "Call her up, and oh, it's still growing."

"Okay," Kaworu agreed. "We'll get back to you, so hang on and keep cool."

"Will do, my friend," Kyubey said before hanging up the line.

Kaworu took a deep breath and dialed another number, this time to Mami's phone. He waited, hearing the beeps until he heard the other girl pick up the line.

"Hello? That you?" Mami asked.

This time Kaworu sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," he said. "You're still on your way?"

"Kind of," Mami said. "I'm at a railroad crossing, but don't worry, I can see the mall, not too far away from me, so I think I'll have to run."

Kaworu blinked; he could hear the unmistakable sound of train wheels clicking on the expansion gaps between rails and the tell-tale sound of the crossing gate bells.

"Good, but we need you here," he said. "Make it quick."

"I do… Don't want to miss the action, though." Mami sounded confident. "Will see you there," she added before closing the line.

Kaworu set the phone away into his pocket and nodded to the girls waiting for him.

"She's stuck?" Asuka questioned.

"Yeah. Train crossing."

Asuka shook her head. "Damn, we have to go."

"We cannot afford to waste time," Rei chimed in.

"All right," Kaworu said. "Two more levels and we're there, so get ready because our opposition will soon be eating up this mall for dinner if we don't kill it."

Only then the trio rushed down the staircase, determined to get to their quarry.

* * *

><p>Being left alone, the three boys were wondering what was taking everyone else hanging for too long, before Toji muttered, "Damn, so they leave us here?"<p>

Kensuke checked his watch. "And those girls, too," he chimed. "I mean, they're taking too much of their sweet time at the toilets. Well, I wonder if they're still talking about us."

Shinji frowned; first day spending time with his new friends and already he was becoming worried. This facial expression didn't escape notice from the two other boys.

"Say," Toji spoke, "though you might want to know a tidbit about our class president."

"About what?" Shinji questioned.

"Do you know that Miss Saotome is Hikari's auntie?" Toji said.

Shinji blinked. "No, and I have yet to know Miss Katsuragi a bit more, but why her?"

"Well, the thing is, she's not lucky with men, and often she whines about them at 2-B, even during classes and in between discussions."

"I see, but that's odd."

"She's odd because the principal doesn't seem to mind about her being a whiny wallflower," Kensuke said. "In fact, she's doing it for… Five years, and that also makes her much of a legend."

Shinji shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered. However, inwardly he had that strange heavy feeling tugging onto his heart, as if something wrong was about to happen.

* * *

><p>The three Children made it to the final flight of stairs down to the third level, and found Kyubey waiting for them. Slightly exhausted, they stopped there and turned to face the threat no more than a hundred meters away.<p>

"I'm afraid we're too late," Kyubey said, gazing at the sight of the Minion's new form, a huge ball of cotton to the untrained eye, but a closer look revealed several hundreds or even thousands of mustachioed peons dancing around the fluffy sphere, encircled with barbs and vines, projecting multicolored beams of light and strange patterns and pictures.

Already the Minion was making its presence known by allowing the vines to grow over the roofs of cars, twisting around railings, pipes and columns,

It was clear that the Minion was at its final stage, feeding on emotions like a hungry leech, and would likely form itself into a sentient Witch and completely engulf the whole mall if left untouched.

"Better late than never," Kaworu replied, before he and his companions closed their eyes and bright points of light issued from the center of their right palms.

* * *

><p>At the same time, a determined Mami Tomoe finally burst through the doors of the mall, dodging her way through crowds, profusely apologizing as she went, and then suddenly she stopped right in the middle of the mall's spacious atrium.<p>

As the girl took a breath, trying to her bearings, to her north was a huge fountain, a full-scale recreation of Rome's famous Trevi Fountain, built out of a combination of sandstone and reinforced concrete; to the south was the main hall with its vaulted, arched ceiling.

_Third level down, right? _Mami told herself, and then she saw, in the distance, a sign telling her where the underground parking was located. But just as she was to make a step further, Mami felt the floor shake beneath her feet.

Cursing softly as the crowds instantly erupted in panic and screams, Mami bolted to that direction, hoping just in time she could make it before—

Mami was shocked to see the grandiose fountain explode into fragments, sending chunks of stone and concrete flying in all directions, before tendrils emerge from the gaping hole in the fountain. From there an extremely grotesque archenemy towered over the ruins, green in color, as though it had a bucket of slime dropped over its head, decked with red roses, a reddish-pink body, butterfly wings on its back, and it gave out an unearthly moan.

At the same time a bluish-black wall quickly expanded from its center, enveloping every square meter of the mall, until this immense space became an inescapable prison of this monster's creation.

"Oh, crap," she merely muttered, and only then she closed her eyes and a yellow light appeared upon the middle spot of the girl's right hand. The light shaped itself into an elongated object, and then the glow vanished, to reveal an ornate, silver-plated lever-action repeater rifle with a crystal lens scope mounted on top.

* * *

><p>In the toilets, Homura, Madoka and Sayaka were all jarred by the unexpected tremor that shook the foundations of the mall, instantly recognizing it as an earthquake. The dark-haired girl quickly kicked the door of her stall, peered out and saw the two hugging each other.<p>

"H… Homura?" Madoka wondered aloud as she blinked. "What are you doing in here?"

"And what about you two?" Homura shot back.

"We better get the heck out of here!" Sayaka exclaimed but before they could reach the door, the world around them was suddenly replaced by a strange covering of grungy wallpaper, cutouts of famous landmarks, bushes, trees, flowers, toys…

…And an army of little men with cotton-ball heads, butterfly feet, and mustaches (a startling resemblance to the handlebar mustache as worn by the famous oblong face appearing on every can of Pringles, which incidentally happens to be Sayaka's favorite snack), hopping around and chanting in some strange tongue none of the girls could try to decipher.

By the sinister way they chanted, however, those creatures weren't in the business of giving away some free potato chips.

"Oh, my God," Sayaka whispered before she screamed for help.

* * *

><p>Their table instantly upturned at the moment the tremor struck them all, spilling their bags and belongings onto the floor, Toji led his buddies to seek shelter near one of the concrete columns, figuring it would be safer than being right out in the open, with people around them going helter-skelter. The basketball jock then exclaimed, "I never expected this! THIS!"<p>

"But this is_ Japan_, buddy!" Kensuke replied loudly. "You think we're still okay with an earthquake that's hard enough to make your milkshakes without a blender?"

Shinji couldn't say anything, except his mind, having become instantly numb with shock, has yet to register the reality of an unfolding disaster of this magnitude.

"I know that! It's just that our good time's now totally screwed—" Toji replied, but was cut off as the same strange bluish "wallpaper" overwhelmed their vision of reality.

* * *

><p>Already the three Children now have a lot on their plate, as they charged forward and took on the lesser Minions themselves.<p>

"Looks like this thing has finally made itself public," Kaworu remarked, as he hacked and slashed at the incoming Minions, using an outsized broadsword that was also emitting a silvery glow.

"Seems it has gone upward to the surface," Rei reported, in her hands a bluish spear, swinging it like a scythe, instantly killing several Minions in its wake.

Asuka, wielding a ruby-colored whip, cracked the cord and slashed more of their opponents by the dozen, before she added, "That means the center of this bloody _scheisse_ is now right over us! And they're speaking in German!"

"What?" Kaworu blurted out.

"Take the stairs," Kyubey calmly ordered, as he jumped off Kaworu's shoulders and led them back to the stairway they used previously, except it was also swarming with more Minions.

As they rushed upwards, killing as they went, they realized that their friends were now in total jeopardy, what with the beast now on the ground floor, having literally engulfed the mall into its own warped reality.

* * *

><p>The whole convoy screeched to a halt right in front of the mall, with every possible exit covered in green slime, thus making it impossible for the hapless, victimized shoppers to escape, even through the sewers.<p>

Immediately they disembarked, rolling out their equipment and weaponry; they were to be the first line of defense, to hold the line until they could call in for more armed reinforcements, including the Self-Defense Force if necessary and only as a last resort. They also set up barricades, before gathering their weaponry, ready to fight the growing monstrosity before their very eyes.

Misato and Tsutomo got off their vehicle, went to the back and picked up their guns.

"Too late! The barrier's now set up!" Misato yelled. "Guess we'll try to blast our way through!"

Tsutomo glanced at a device that was attached to his right wrist, about the size of a typical handheld gaming console; it showed him the approximate AT-Field strength it emitted. "Yeah, indeed, this has its AT-Field powered up! Let's see if we could use a missile on it."

A team of containment specialists unpacked an anti-tank TOW launcher from the back of one of their vehicles, rammed a missile into the back end of the weapon, and one of them aimed it at the mall's main entrance.

"Fire!" his assistant yelled out, before the missile operator pressed the trigger and the projectile blasted out of the launcher, flying straight into the entrance and exploded dead-center. They could see a cloud of smoke issuing from the impact point, but a wind blew it away, to reveal that the high-explosive warhead has not affected the slimy barrier.

"Damn!" Misato exclaimed, as she lay on the SUV's hood, her submachine gun aimed straight. "Looks like those kids will have to kill that bastard themselves! This one's a full-blown Witch!"

"You want backup?" Tsutomo asked, holding his assault rifle on one hand, a radio in another.

"Not yet," Misato replied. "Not unless those kids get overwhelmed, and we'll have to finish it off should this freak ever break out into the open… and by the way, better have someone put the press on a leash before they make this one go public!"

* * *

><p>The lesser Minions were just meters away from overwhelming the three girls when Mami broke through the "wallpaper" and, as though her rifle became a shotgun once she pulled the trigger, the weapon belched a round full of buckshot, shredding the Minions into pieces.<p>

"Are you guys okay?" she asked them as the smoke cleared, her eyes scanning for more enemies to shoot at, keeping her rifle up and at the ready.

"Y… Yeah," Sayaka stammered, holding Madoka in her embrace. She also took note of the rather ornate hair pin that was on Mami's head.

"Yes," Homura calmly said.

Mami was surprised at the unnaturally panic-less tone of that girl's voice; she didn't expect Homura to be _that_ calm, as though they were stuck in a traffic jam.

"Your names, please," Mami said. "Just to make my job easier, right?"

"Madoka Kaname."

"Sayaka Miki… and that girl with us is—"

"My name's Homura Akemi," the black-haired girl said, cutting off Sayaka. "We're all belonging to Section 2-B."

Mami nodded. "Thanks," she said. "Now stick close to me as I'll have to lead us out of here, then I'll introduce myself later."

"But what about Ikari and the others?" Madoka questioned with grave concern.

"I think they could find and bring them out."

"Who's 'them'?" Sayaka asked, as they darted from one column to another, to evade the sight of any possible Minion lurking somewhere.

* * *

><p>"G'damn it!" Toji cursed, as he held a baseball bat and swung it around, smashing the heads of some Minions who were trying to make a grab for their ankles, and right now the boys were completely cornered in a sporting goods store, having tried to make their way out to safety and failed. "Anyone dare to pinch me to see if I could wake up?"<p>

"Guess I might have to see my optometrist after this," Kensuke joked bitterly, brandishing a Big Bertha golf club he had just taken from the store's smashed display façade.

"Whaddya say?"

"Never mind!" the bespectacled geek answered back, before bashing the cotton-puff heads with the club's famous oversized head.

Meanwhile, Shinji, desperately looking for a suitable weapon he could use, rummaged through the shelves until he found a box containing a professional-grade Barnett slingshot and a bag of chromed steel balls besides it. He then brought them on the counter, ripped away the packaging, picked up the slingshot and loaded the weapon with one of the balls, before aiming it at one of the Minions that has unexpectedly leaped upwards to land on Toji and Kensuke, and fired.

The round hit the Minion squarely in the face, creating a gaping hole where his mustache used to be, before Toji brought down his feet to stomp on the fallen creature.

"THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" Toji exclaimed in praise.

Kensuke blinked. "Where the heck you learned about using those slingshots?"

"My uncle used to make one for me, and then I practiced with it… sometimes," Shinji said, pausing for a moment to reload.

"For what?" Toji questioned, before hitting two more Minions on the head.

"For target practice, but _never_ at birds or anything … until now!" Shinji answered as he fired away another shot, scoring another kill.

"Too bad, you should be making a tryout at archery or _kyudo_," Toji suggested. "You look like a natural!"

"I'm better off playing the cello," Shinji said.

Toji had a double-take. "You WHAT?"

Suddenly Kensuke came bursting out of the storeroom in the back, toting what appeared to be a pair of assault rifles. "I FOUND THEM!" he shouted.

"You warfreak, where the hell you nicked those pieces?" Toji angrily questioned.

"AIRSOFT GUNS! I want to hold one of those things ever since I first saw them as a kid, and now with nobody to stop me because I'm fourteen… I CAN USE 'EM!" Kensuke answered loudly, and then with gusto he pulled the trigger of both rifles (as these were electric-powered, full-size Colt M4A1 replicas made by Tokyo Marui), mowing down dozens of Minions with hundreds of fast-flying white BB pellets as they burst through the door like a flood.

* * *

><p>What was once the food court was now a jungle of cutouts and vines, and sure enough, Kaworu and the girls found their table upturned and their belongings scattered around. Frustrated, he hissed out air through his teeth, and said, "They should've stayed put."<p>

"That cannot be helped," Rei said. "It is a natural impulse for ordinary people to find a way out of here."

"You're right," Kaworu agreed as Kyubey clambered over his back and perched onto his shoulder.

"I can still sense their presence, though," the cat-like creature said.

"Where are they?" Asuka asked, her eyes warily scanning their surroundings.

Kyubey raised his paw, pointing to the direction where he first picked up the scent of the boys. "There, at that store... and further out to the south, Mami has your lady friends with her."

* * *

><p>"COME AND GET SOME!" Kensuke yelled, his rifles blazing away at the hordes of Minions trying to get in, while Shinji and Toji kept more of them at bay as they attempted to punch through the shattered façade.<p>

Just then they heard a thundercrack, before a blinding flash ripped across the storefront.

"What the heck?" Toji mumbled, watching bits and pieces of Minions wafting away like cottony confetti, and once the air became clear, the trio of Children walked in, sidestepping the piles of dead Minions and heaps of debris.

"Is… Is that you?" Shinji asked Kaworu as they stood before them, prompting him to lower his slingshot.

"Yes," Kaworu answered. "I'm sorry if we came late."

"Wow," Kensuke spoke in awe. "How did you do that?"

Kaworu shook his head. "Can't say now, but we'll have to get you guys out of here first. We need to reach the main entrance."

"And who's that weird cat?" Toji questioned, pointing his finger at Kyubey, still perched on Kaworu's shoulder and smiling back at him.

"A mutual friend, dummy," Asuka said. "Let's move!"

* * *

><p>With the three girls and a frightened crowd standing behind her, bunched and cornered at what was supposed to be the main entrance, Mami blasted away with her lever gun, dispatching each and every one of the Minions at a lightning-fast rate of fire, all without missing a shot.<p>

"Okay," Mami said as she aimed and fired. "I'm Mami Tomoe, upperclassman belonging to 3-A."

"You're Mitakihara, too?" Madoka asked, noting that the girl's brown sailor school uniform was the same as theirs, and that her tie had three white stripes denoting her seniority, compared to the other girls' two stripes.

"Yeah," Mami answered while reloading. "You're the class nurse, right?"

Madoka nodded. "Yes."

"Well, as for you, Homura," the blond-haired girl said, "You're new?"

"That's correct," Homura said, her calm demeanor remained unbroken even at this point. "I'm from Sendai."

"I see. Near the epicenter," Mami remarked, still busy firing away. "Do you have a family here?"

"No."

Mami was inwardly surprised, but not allowing it to distract her, keeping up with her torrent of bullets. "Why?"

"I'm still finding a place to stay in, but I'll settle for a boarding house or a dormitory."

"In that case, I'll see what I could do, and besides, don't be afraid to ask Miss Saotome or Katsuragi for help."

"I can't trust Miss Katsuragi," Homura said flatly. "Not with what she said this afternoon."

Mami blinked for a second. "What? What did she told you?"

Homura thought of bringing up the discussion about Misato's sales pitch but decided otherwise, considering the grave situation they were in right now. "No, nothing at all," she said.

Mami shrugged, before she resumed her business of killing more Minions within her field of fire.

Just then Kaworu and the rest of his companions arrived just in time, and then he asked Mami, "What took you so long?"

"I have to get these girls out of harm's way," Mami answered.

"I bet this one has a sizable core right in there," Asuka remarked, beating off the advancing Minions, before they saw a bunch of stranger enemies – blobs of color with butterfly wings, bodies peppered with eyes and mustaches – appeared flying over their heads, which then dived straight for them like suicide pilots loaded with _sake_ and bombs.

This squadron never made it, torn apart by Mami's rifle even at a distance of three meters, before the Children shredded them with their melee weapons.

"Easy as cake," the blonde girl said.

"We haven't gotten closer to that Witch yet," Asuka countered.

However, Kyubey sensed a very strong emission emanating from the Witch, and said, "It's about to bring out the final attack."

* * *

><p>The Witch, standing right on top of the destroyed fountain and surveying its surroundings, noticed the Children have gathered together at the main entrance, forming a defensive bulwark against the relentless surge of Minions it unleashed, protecting the thousands of stranded, frightened shoppers that it was supposed to victimize.<p>

Its many eyes focused closer, turning into slits, and then in its outrage and frustration decided that one huge blow should be sufficient enough to destroy this small band, before it could capture more victims for harvest.

Using its own psychokinetic power, the Witch broke apart what was left of the fountain, lifted car-sized fragments of stone right up into the air, and with a monstrous howl launched the projectiles straight at its human targets.

* * *

><p>Disbelief struck Kensuke as he watched the boulders fly straight at them, seemingly impossible to stop, and all he could do was to utter an oath, still holding on to his airsoft rifles. <em>This is how it feels like to be unlucky in the Battle of Okinawa<em>, he contemplated, _with a 14-inch American battleship projectile coming right on top of your head._

In that same small sliver of time, Toji thought of his little sister, his crush, classmates, other friends, and he recalled almost everything as if all that would be the last he could muster before encountering oblivion right in the face.

Homura simply stood there, as she had nothing much she could do except to wait for the inevitable, knowing that in the next few seconds she would not feel a thing. At least she was finally convinced, beyond any reasonable doubt, that what terrors Miss Katsuragi told her about ealier was now for real.

Finally, Madoka and Sayaka hugged each other, closed their eyes and hoped for a miracle… or a better place and time for rebirth.

But Shinji, not moving at all, dumbfounded at the flying boulders, his mind in total contemplation as he dropped his slingshot.

_Have I traveled all the way here, supposedly to start a new life, to find Father, and then I found new friends… but instead I'm to die at the end of the day? Is this how my life would end? Is this my fate? _

A string of afterimages flashed before his mind's eye, and then he felt a strange pain in his heart, along with a burning sensation coming from the centers of his palms, causing him to drop down on his knees in agony.

And then Shinji screamed.

* * *

><p>The Children, being the main targets of that Witch's hatred, spotted the concrete and stone missiles coming down at them just as they were repelling the Minions from overrunning their positions.<p>

Just as they braced for the inevitable impact, the Children felt the ground beneath their feet shake, before hearing the yell that radiated from behind. Instantly they saw a visible shockwave coming right at the giant projectiles, which blew apart into nothing but powdery dust.

The same shockwave assaulted the legions of Minions like a giant scythe, leaving only a huge cloud of cotton floating in the air in its wake. It then reached the Witch and a hexagon-shaped form of light briefly flashed, before the shockwave overwhelmed it and the hideous creature was subdued and disappeared in a form of a brightly-lit, cross-shaped explosion.

When the dust and the gossamers of cotton settled slowly as the strange otherworld collapsed and reverted back to reality, the Children turned around, to see who saved the day in the nick of time, and saw that Shinji had collapsed onto his back to the ground.

"What the heck was that?" Asuka mumbled, but none of her comrades-in-arms could offer a satisfactory answer except for the prone figure on the floor, as Madoka immediately went about checking on the unconscious boy, taking his coat off and using it as a pillow to keep his head up higher than the body.

Without saying a word Kaworu pulled out his phone and dialed Misato, who was waiting for them outside.

"It's done," he said. "Target neutralized."

"Good job, guys," Misato replied. "We're moving in."

But inwardly Kaworu wondered how Shinji was able to destroy the Witch with such a powerful outburst, without even an _Eva_ of his own. This he will discuss as soon as the Children undergo a full debriefing back in the base.

* * *

><p>While the gray-haired Children talked to Misato, Kyubey leapt off from Kaworu's shoulder, and tiptoed towards Shinji, who was still unconscious and with Madoka attending to him.<p>

"Aren't you the one that I saw in my dream?" Madoka asked.

"What dream?" Kyubey said, his perpetual smile still plastered on. This surprised the other teenagers surrounding Shinji.

While Sayaka blinked, Toji and Kensuke had their jaws dropped. "You can _speak_?" the burly jock asked in disbelief.

The creature nodded. "Yes."

"I mean," Madoka continued to inquire, "I saw you before in that dream… but it's only now that I—"

"I would like to tell you something very important," the cat-like creature cut her off. "But you and your friends need to come with us first."

Madoka blinked. "To where?"

"You'll see," Kyubey said with confidence. "In fact, you and everyone else involved will be the only ones privy to this secret, as no one else except you can _see_ me, but as for your new friend Shinji… I'm very impressed with his first performance, and for that he has _great_ potential."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Havingfinished Chapter 40 of _Light and Water _(and therefore my noggin's busy on planning for the final season of that other story)_, _this isn't so easy writing this chapter, as I confess that I'm treading on new, virgin ground, in which for research purposes prior to writing I had to watch the first two episodes of both shows, combined with the manga editions, and even read supplemental material.

As this chapter is in response to a particular complaint about the lack of some kick-ass action, I hope it should satisfy the readers who came here to see how things would look like in this fusion (or should I say, a collision) of both worlds, that of Madoka and of Shinji.

Furthermore, as it's clear to me that writing this fic is like exploring Antarctica, feeling my way around, trying to map this unexplored country, I'm still welcome to any comments or criticisms (even if at least some of them are very blunt and frank).


	5. The Looking Glass

At roughly the same time Kyubey told Madoka that Shinji was the best Candidate he'd seen in years, somewhere in the darkest corners of the city, there was another conversation between two men at a table.

"I can feel it," the Banker said. "Gertrude's dead."

"Yeah, except that this time there was _no weapon_ involved," the Rocker sourly replied as he pinched the bridge of his nose. There was nothing more frustrating than to end the day with yet another disaster, with their Witch killed before a harvest could be performed. "None of the Children killed Gertrude; it was a damned _newcomer!_"

They met again after half-a-day's worth of work on the streets, hustling, dealing, conniving, enforcing. Apart from performing their enigmatic duties, hidden from the public, they worked the underworld, with far more efficiency than the traditional Yakuza families; compared to narcotics, in their opinion it was far safer selling pornography, pirated media, counterfeit goods, and gambling, the last ensuring a tidy profit as long as debts were paid in full (and they made sure of it with strong-armed enforcers).

"Want another beer?" the Banker offered.

"Sure," Rocker agreed as he watched his comrade go over to the fridge and took out a pair of canned Kirin lager. He handed one to Rocker before pulling the tabs and taking a sip.

"By the way, any progress on your investigations?"

"Yeah, our sister's working over the entire network, trying to pull out anything about the Children." He was speaking of their in-house female hacker who'd been part of the "family" as long as they could remember. "Besides, she's carefully studying the firewalls that Doctor Akagi has just set up; she admitted it looked impenetrable but as with any system, she claims that sooner or later the Akagi firewall could be brought down."

"I see, but how long?"

"Give her a least a couple of weeks."

"Now, we want to know about who is that newcomer you speak of."

For the most part of the afternoon, the Rocker took station at a parking garage opposite Sakura Mall, watching and waiting for Gertrude to do her work, only to be defeated by an unlikely hero of the day, and already Katsuragi's men were swarming all over the place, disguised as HAZMAT specialists but armed to the teeth.

"It's a boy," the Rocker said. "Kid's about fourteen, just like the Children. Black hair, nice face, lanky as hell. I saw him just as they were coming out of the mall."

The Banker nodded. "We'll know his name soon enough... or the last thing we need is the Man wanting a pound of our ass from each of us."

* * *

><p><strong>ANGELS AND WITCHES: CAMPUS APOCALYPSE<br>**_An Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku X Puella Magi Madoka Magica AU Fanfiction  
><em>-_  
><em>**Chapter 5: The Looking Glass  
><strong>_Written by soulassassin547 on 8/31/2011 18:26 a8/p8  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>An hour ago…<strong>

_Unaware of what was happening in the real world, Shinji was in a state of unconsciousness, but was having a rather vivid dream, sitting in a folding chair._

_He then heard what seems to be a drop of water hitting the floor._

"_What is this?" he asked. "The sound of… water?"_

"_I told you," a disembodied voice said. Shinji then turned his head around to find a young boy standing nearby, dressed in what appeared to be a hospital gown. He blinked twice, and this time he found himself seated in a train. He could also hear the clakety-clack of the wheels and felt the train car sway as it traveled. Peering outside, the late-afternoon scenery whizzed by, wondering where he came from or heading to._

"_Thought all you may see over there are individual parts, each of them has their own place and their own meanings," the boy said._

I feel like… I know this child… this boy_, Shinji thought._

_The boy continued to speak. "Lilith draws ever closer… But the possibility also exists that man may continue to change fastet than ever. Yet the burden of things to come may prove their efforts meaningless…"_

He's covered in red. Like he had a bucket of blood poured over him.

"_What are you talking about?" the boy suddenly asked. "You're the one covered in red."_

What?

"_Look. It's on your hands… your head… your entire body."_

_Shinji looked at his hands, and then arms, and even his chest, all spattered with blood. Instead of being shocked, he was having a double-take, unable to comprehend as to why he looked like this._

I wonder whose blood is this…

**FLASH!**

_The next thing Shinji saw a rapid succession of images, past, present, and what could be the future; his life rushing by like a train passing him at the station; he saw faces, that of people he saw today, then of people he couldn't place a name, before he saw the silhouette of a man standing before him._

"_Father?"_

**FLASH!**

* * *

><p>Shinji woke up with a start, startling most of his companions gathered around him.<p>

"What the…?" he mumbled, as they looked down on him. "What happened?"

"You've passed out just after you killed that Witch," Kaworu said.

The young man tried to get himself sit upright on the stretcher. "How?" he asked.

"Basically, we were just about to receive from the Witch some three tons of concrete right on top of us when you yelled out loud and unleashed a force blast of sorts. Somehow your power – whatever it could be– fed on the Witch's attack, which then threw it back into its face and... got erased."

Shinji looked at Kaworu and Mami again; they looked glad, but as for Rei and Asuka, the former had a non-committal expression on her face, the latter sported a mild case of non-approval along with arms crossed over her chest. Their reactions left him feeling mixed.

But then the young man saw Kyubey as the cat-like creature leaped off Kaworu's shoulder and walked towards him.

"Can you really talk?" Shinji asked.

"Yes," Kyubey answered. "In fact, anyone who's Candidate material or whoever is my acquaintance can see and hear me."

That really surprised him. "Really?"

"To most ordinary people, I'm invisible."

Shinji took in his surroundings and then saw that there were rescue teams coming inside, some of them assisting the hapless patrons trying to leave the ruined interior of the mall, which was completely covered in flecks of white cotton. He also noted that the rescuers were clad in bulky suits, as if to protect them from possible contamination.

But none of them noticed Kyubey at all, even with the strange elongated ears and the oversized tail.

_Protecting themselves from what? _Shinji asked himself as he took hold of his coat and dusted it off. He was about to wear it when he turned around to see Madoka sitting besides him.

"Hi," the girl said, smiling rather nervously.

"First day here, and you did good," Sayaka said. Standing behind her was Homura, who looked completely indifferent. "What kind of boy are you, anyway?"

Shinji shrugged. "I have no idea. What's a Candidate?"

"Do you know?" Kyubey asked.

"No, really."

"A Candidate is someone who has the hidden potential that would make him or her suitable to become one of the Children," the feline creature said. "But that's possible only after lengthy scrutiny and testing, and there's only a handful in this world."

Kaworu and Rei nodded in unison.

"You're a Candidate," Kyubey said. "You're coming with us."

Shinji blinked. "Me?"

Kyubey nodded. "Of course, but however—"

"Hey!" Toji yelled as he carried the bulk of the teenagers' schoolbags along with Kensuke, who still had the airsoft assault rifles strapped to his back. "You damn saved the day, man," the jock added, clapping Shinji in the back.

"You nuked whatever the hell that thing was," Kensuke chimed in, unloading the other school bags on the floor. "But, oh, we got these back from the food court." He then distributed the bags to each of his companions, thanking the two boys in return, except for Rei, who merely nodded.

"The excuse that a Witch ate our homework isn't going to sit with either Miss Saotome or Colonel Katsuragi the next morning," Kaworu said jokingly.

"Colonel?" Kensuke questioned, his eyes blinking. "Did you say that our teacher is really a colonel? Is she in the military?"

"Perhaps it would be more appropriate that you should ask that question to me," Misato said, showing up with Agent Kanzaki in tow; they were no longer wearing their HAZMAT suits.

With the exception of the Children, the other teens exclaimed, "Miss Katsuragi!"

"What the heck are you doing here?' Toji asked.

"You're working for them, ma'am?" Sayaka eagerly chimed. "Who are those guys?"

"I've volunteered for the HAZMAT unit as a team leader," Misato lied. "Ministry of the Environment and Sanitation, HAZMAT Division Six."

Kensuke blinked. "What's Division Six?"

"Um, Mister Suzuhara, Aida… Excuse me," Misato replied, "but could you come with Mister Kanzaki?"

Toji and Kensuke had a double-take. "For what?" they asked in unison.

"He'll talk to you two; it's very important."

The two boys walked up to Tsutomo, who then led them away from their classmates.

"Hey, Shinji," Toji said. "Thanks for the action."

"See you tomorrow," Kensuke budged before both boys laughed.

Shinji nodded as he watched them walk away, waving his hand. He then turned to Misato, who said, "As for the rest, better come with me."

"Miss Katsuragi… Where we're going?" Madoka asked.

Misato grinned mischievously. "Sorry, I can't tell you until we get there."

They followed Misato out of the mall, through the crowded parking lot, intermixed with rescue teams and hapless shoppers, and boarded a Toyota Grandia van in yellow HAZMAT colors. The woman then started up the engine and motored away, heading to parts unknown.

* * *

><p>What they didn't know was that, once they left the mall premises, a helicopter – a UH-60 Blackhawk painted in matte black – appeared right over the parking lot, with an odd dish-shaped attachment on the bottom of the fuselange. Misato's men on the ground wordlessly donned their sunglasses, twenty seconds before the helicopter's dish emitted a massive, blinding flash of light on the entire area.<p>

Next thing the throng forgot what happened in the last four hours, their memories modified, and the rescue teams told the crowds that there was a gas explosion and fire in the mall.

At around the same time, Agent Tsutomo Kanzaki tucked his glasses and pen-sized Neuralizer back into his pocket, and told the disbelieving Toji and Kensuke the same cover story.

* * *

><p>Now the van drove straight on the main boulevard which cut right through the city. Fire trucks, police cars and ambulances whizzed past by, their sirens shrieking as they rushed to the mall.<p>

For Madoka and Sayaka, they were experiencing mixed feelings, of both doubt and curiosity, and the excitement of being placed in an unlikely adventure, wondering what laid ahead of them.

As for Homura, stoic as she was, inwardly she wondered if there was more to Misato's offer to join the organization she was talking about. She then looked at Mami, who lounged against the cushioned headrest and her eyes closed; Rei had a small booklet in her hands, flipping pages as she read; Asuka had her arms crossed over her chest, looking out at the scenery below; as for Kaworu, he had Kyubey napping on his lap while his foot tapped on the floor.

Meanwhile, wearing a headset while driving, Misato was busy talking with Tsutomo over the radio, receiving updates and issuing orders.

"…and Kanzaki," Misato said, "Has anyone found the Core?"

"We got it, ma'am," Tsutomo said. "We have the whole area cordoned off completely. SOP as usual. By the way, we've also collected some samples for Doctor Akagi, who might be interested in checking them out."

Misato nodded. "Thanks, I'll tell her," she said. "I'm sure she's waiting for them."

"Okay, over and out," the agent said before signing off.

Misato then spoke to the teens, "Should your parents ask about you coming late for home, tell them that you have extracurricular activities, but not about this."

"Miss Katsuragi… Is this a secret?" Madoka asked.

"Yes," Misato answered.

"But… What about Aida and Suzuhara?" Madoka questioned. "Why leave them?"

"I'm afraid they're _not ready_," Misato said. "What we're involved in is too sensitive to be made public. Go text your parents."

"Okay," Madoka agreed, before she and Sayaka took out their mobile phones and began composing their SMS excuses, before sending them off. The next minute the girls received their parents' acknowledgements, saying it was all right to spend some more time at school.

"Miss Katsuragi," Homura said, finally breaking her silence.

"Yes?"

"At first I thought what you were offering me to do was silly that I could never believe you," the black-haired girl said.

Misato was taken aback. "So, you're convinced now?" she asked.

"Sorry, but not yet, ma'am; I shall have to think over about your offer, but only after you explain to me, in clearer terms, as to why I need to be involved in this scheme of yours."

Sayaka blinked. "Hey… What does Akemi has something to do with this, ma'am?"

Misato shook her head. "Again, I will explain everything as soon as we arrive at our destination," she said. "And by the way, between you and me, I'd be happier if you guys call me Misato."

No one spoke thereafter, and much to Sayaka's uncomfortable chagrin, there was no other choice for her except to shut up and sit tight.

_Why the heck Miss Katsuragi… er, Misato's keeping us in the dark? _Sayaka wondered inwardly, and then noticed that the van has turned to the left, entering a car park. The vehicle went straight in until it reached what appeared to be an elevator for cars. On Misato's side, there was a video camera and a keypad encased in a steel shell, similar to one used in drive-in fast food services.

As the woman stared into the camera, she entered her code number for the day, and then spoke into the hidden microphone: "Katsuragi, five-five-six-four-zero-niner-three," she said, before adding another word: "Heineken".

Instantly the elevator doors parted open, and Misato drove the van in, before they all felt the clamps taking hold of the tires, followed by the elevator cab lurching downward.

"Sorry," Misato said. "Our trip could take a bit longer."

* * *

><p>There was a minute while the elevator descended until it halted. Again, Misato started up the van, and then drove out of the elevator and into the car park, which was half-full of cars, including patrol cars, military armored cars, armored personnel carriers, and HAZMAT trucks. She found an empty slot and parked there, and the rest got off.<p>

"Now, where we're going this time?" Shinji asked as they followed Misato through a short corridor, and onto a subway platform, seemingly long abandoned. The woman checked her watch for a moment as a train slowly rolled in, except the train was a inspection car used by subway engineers and maintenance crew after operating hours, painted in yellow and had the emergency blinker lights on.

The train door opened, and they boarded in, sitting down on the long seats bolted to the sides of the car, before the train departed.

As the train made its five-minute journey through the Mitakihara underground, the driver swung his seat around and cheerfully said, "Hi, Colonel, how's it going?"

The man, was in his mid-twenties, with swept-back black hair, a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, wearing a khaki-colored uniform, and polished patent leather shoes; his name plate and dangling ID card told the teens:

**Special Agency NERV - United Nations Emergency Forces  
>CAPT. MAKOTO HYUGA<br>**Assistant Director of Operations

The ID card also had a faint watermark of the organization's emblem, half a fig leaf and a phrase arching on the bottom half: _God's in his Heaven, All's Right with the World._

"M… Mister Hyuga, what are you doing here?" Madoka asked in incredulity, as Sayaka's left eye twitched, whilst Shinji and Homura wondered who he was.

"Sorry," Makoto apologized, and noticed the new faces. "I should've introduced myself to the newcomers; my name's Makoto Hyuga, and my other job at school, well, I'm your history teacher. Yeah, here's where I do my part-time job, to be honest."

"What's your work here?" Shinji questioned.

"I advise Misato on tactical or strategic matters," Makoto answered. "Usually I'm present during mission planning or briefings, but otherwise I find myself working on the lesson plan for the next day. But don't tell anyone about my job here, okay?"

The teens nodded compliantly.

"Has Kanzaki got the Core?" Misato asked.

Makoto nodded. "Yep, it's on its way here."

"Typical day at the office," she joked. "Another Witch bit the dust."

Just then Makoto saw that they were close to their destination, and accordingly he cut down the throttle until the inspection car stopped at yet another out-of-the-way platform. There they filed out of the train, and were ushered into a passageway, leading to a chamber about the size of a typical house, guarded by a pair of security agents.

Misato, Makoto, Kyubey and the Children presented their identification, before submitting fingerprints and corneal scans for further verification, before one of the agents deemed them ready to enter Headquarters, hidden behind the half-meter thick steel alloy blast doors.

"Who are these kids?" the guard asked Misato, taking note of Shinji and the three girls.

"They're potential Candidates," the woman replied.

The guard nodded. "Oh… Okay, ma'am," he said, bringing out a bunch of visitor access cards from within the counter, which the Candidate teens then wore by hanging them from their necks. At the same time another guard opened the doors, which parted in the middle, each half sliding up or down into recessed slots.

Never in their wildest dreams did such a place existed right under the city, for it presumably contained secrets so arcane that they cannot be revealed to ordinary people.

"Stick with me, guys," Misato said before teenagers followed her.

They passed through the corridor, the officers being greeted by other personnel on their way to their duties. The labyrinthine extent of this unknown facility was revealed as they had to make several turns until confronting yet another elevator door.

"On this level is the Command Center, but instead we're going further down," Misato said while entering her code on a keypad right besides the elevator.

"Oh, Colonel," Makoto said. "I'll have to go now. Some stuff for me to do at my desk… I mean, those reports."

"No problem," Misato replied, before letting off a salute. "I can handle them."

"Thanks," the bespectacled officer said before saluted in return and he walked away.

"And what's down there?" Homura asked Misato.

"You'll find out, and by the way, for convenience the school's right on top of us."

Madoka and Sayaka were amazed. "You mean _our_ school?"

"That's right," Misato confirmed as the elevator doors opened, and then they boarded in. Once the elevator lurched downward, she thought, _When there's the uninitiated, they ask a lot of questions._

* * *

><p>Upon stepping off the elevator, all they could see beyond was pure darkness, and the only light came from the elevator cab shortly before the doors closed. But then tiny lights lit up on the floor, creating parallel lines that seemingly extended to dark infinity.<p>

With Misato being the guide, the rest of the group followed her, not speaking another word, wondering what lay ahead of them.

For several minutes they walked for what felt to be kilometers until they came upon a closed door.

"Behind these doors is the best-kept secret in the world," Misato said as she used her ID card to swipe through the reader affixed to the right side of the door, and then the portal opened. What the Candidates saw was beyond disbelief.

"What is this place?" Shinji asked.

Right before them was a platform, encircled by columns that extended upwards to an unseen ceiling, where the columns disappear into the branches and leaves of an immense tree; below this platform was what looked to be thick roots that supported this enigmatic structure. All this was bathed in white light, rays coming from the tree above them.

Waiting in the middle of this platform was Ritsuko Akagi, clad in her lab coat and hands in her pockets. She was standing besides a small table with a laptop computer.

"Good evening," Ritsuko said as they walked into the light.

"Doctor Akagi," Madoka said. "What are you doing in here?"

"Officially, I'm your school doctor," the blonde-dyed woman said. "But I'm also the chief scientist of this facility. My business here today is to observe, and the reason why you have been summoned here is that they ask for your presence."

"Who's _they_?" Shinji questioned.

"_Good of you to come here, Candidates," _a disembodied voice said.

Shinji and his fellow Candidates blinked, before they all looked up to the tree. "Eh… Where did that voice come from?" he asked.

"_Starting today, you will be joining your fellow Children, and will be sent to missions of utmost importance."_

"Missions?" Homura inquired. _What in the world I've got myself into?_

"Is this a joke?" Sayaka demanded, skepticism in her voice.

"_You will fight the Angels and their Witches."_

Madoka and Sayaka looked at each other with askance, Homura frowned, and Shinji could only utter a "Huh?"

"_Yggdrasil, the World Tree, has existed for time immemorial; it is the giver of life, and as such it also maintains the balance of this world. Yet to survive, the 'balance' must be maintained at all costs, for this tree continues to wither."_

"May I ask a question?" Homura said.

"Yes," Kyubey answered.

"Do we have the right to decide whether to accept or to refuse your request?"

"Yeah, what if we don't want to?" Sayaka added.

"You are not being forced to become one of the Children, Homura Akemi," Kyubey said. "Being a sentient individual, you are free to decide your destiny. Should you refuse, your memory shall be modified so that you will never remember this place, the conversations you hear today have not taken place, and the personages before you will be normal as you want to believe; you'll be returned to where you were are as before, as if this meeting has never happened. There will be others, however few, who will take your place, but at this moment you Candidates have the greatest potential."

Homura said nothing, but listening intently.

"Wait a second," Shinji said. "What do you mean by 'modifying memory'?"

"We have the technology to alter your memories in the brain," Kyubey answered, "to forget the existence of this place and its people. We call it the Neuralizer."

Shinji can only blink, and had no more to say.

"The choice is yours," Kyubey continued, "yet at this moment the number of Children necessary is insufficient to battle our opponents, who are gaining greater strength than ever before. However, if the lost Cores could not be gathered to maintain the 'balance', humanity shall be doomed, to become a memory. Think about it for a moment, but first I would like to explain why you were selected."

The feline alien slowly walked around the Candidates.

"You, Homura Akemi, have been determined that your genetic composition allows you to see events taking place _several minutes into the future_, and only a few in this planet have this ability."

"Is that the reason why I was selected?" the girl asked.

"Yes, of course," Kyubey answered. "We have a database of DNA patterns that determine certain traits that differentiate one human from another. You are a unique case, and so are your fellow Candidates. Now, Sayaka Miki—"

"Yes?" Sayaka spoke.

"What are your best traits that describes your personality?"

"W… Well," the verdigris-haired girl said, "I'm not afraid of something. I fight for something what I feel is right. I see someone weak and helpless, I help that person, and above all, I work hard for something in return."

The creature looked into her eyes. "I see. You were selected because your innate aggression within your genes can be put to better use, like helping society in return."

"You mean… Hey, aggression is something like being hot-headed, right?"

"Of course, but here you'll have to keep your feelings in check, should you be accepted into the ranks."

"Like a superhero?"

"Yes."

Sayaka's eyes went wide. "Wow, and do I get to fly?" she joked.

Kyubey shook his head. "No, not like that; that would be too much. Instead, I suppose that your kendo skills that you're still studying at school can be improved on."

Sayaka grinned this time. "Nice!" she exclaimed, but Homura shook her head.

Now Kyubey walked towards Madoka. "I have a good reason to have you here," he said. "You're very special, just like your new friend Shinji Ikari."

Madoka blinked. "W… Why?"

"Your DNA coding is peculiar," Kyubey said.

"But I don't understand."

"Let me put it this way: each person on this planet is very unique, that no two persons share the exact same DNA unless he or she is a clone of another. Somewhere in your bloodline, there's a special sequence that tells us your body contains a hidden gift that you are not aware of."

The pink-haired girl was mystified. "And what is this gift?"

"You will then find out only if you join," Kyubey cheerfully answered.

* * *

><p>To begin with, Madoka was never a violent person, no stomach to harm anyone or anything, never known any malice or immorality. An embodiment of pure innocence, she was happy and contented with her own lot; she had everything, even good friends and a loving family.<p>

Why aspire for more?

She, however, could not accept the sight of people being hurt, of witnessing discord and chaos, and worse, of standing there and unable to help, hence Madoka sometimes questioned her purpose in this world.

_Could I be able to lessen, if not end, fear?_

_Could I help people to feel better?_

_Could I become strong so that I could help the weak?_

Madoka sighed.

_They're waiting for me to decide._

Then she remembered the dream she had last night, this Kyubey offering her a chance to become a Magical Girl… or in the language of these unusual people, one of the Children.

Her eyes were slowly drawn to Shinji, standing there, pondering on the offer. In that vivid dream of hers, no, a nightmare, she saw him hurt greatly, screaming in pain, having tried to defeat the terror that was presented to him to combat.

And Homura, helpless and paralyzed as she was thrown back into the branches of that tree, unable to do anything to stop Shinji from being tormented by the jewel-box monstrosity.

Strangers as they were, she wanted to help them.

Then Madoka had the memory of coming across a kitten that was wandering on the sidewalk, on her way home. The kitten had gray-colored fur, wet and miserable, as if seeking for her mother.

Her sense of pity took over and Madoka brought the kitten home, gave her a bath, dried, and then with the help of her mother, built a decent home out of a box, old shirts for bedding and a dish full of milk.

Once she discovered that the kitten was a female, Madoka gave that kitten a name, christened her as Amy, after a character in _Little Women_, one of her favorite books.

But now, if she must help Shinji and Homura, to prevent the fateful vision from ever happening, surely she had to face the prospects of violence and treachery inherent in the role that NERV was offering to her right at this moment.

If she accepted, how much she could withstand brutality or pain or fear?

Madoka now felt torn up; on one hand she wanted to save Shinji and Homura from the possibility of their fates, but on another, her non-violent nature and the comfortable life she enjoyed right up to now, was tugging her conscience from accepting the role.

She imagined fictional heroines, more precisely in the guise of magical girls on TV; students by day, fighters by night, combating whatever monsters they faced until they defeated them, bringing back peace and harmony for ordinary people to enjoy.

Madoka loved their courage, their sense of justice despite their eccentricities, which was why she sometimes doodled on her notebooks, page after page of magical girls posed in their beautiful costumes, wielding staffs or weaponry.

_If they could stand up bravely to fight those monsters, _Madoka pondered, _then why I can't be one?_

To accept to become one of the Children would be surely a personal sacrifice; she would have to exchange her peaceful and comfortable existence for a world of pain and discomfort, of possible terror and fear… and considering today's events, witnessing people running helter-skelter, trying to get away from the Witch, or whatever it was…

"May I ask a question?" Madoka said, her eyes now on Kyubey.

The cat-like creature preened for a while. "What is it?"

"If I accept, would I be trained to learn how to use… whatever powers granted to me, so that I could be okay if I fight?"

"Good question, Madoka Kaname," Kyubey said. "Anyone who becomes one of the Children shall be trained to make the best use of their fighting skills. Whatever weapon you may obtain, you will be tutored on how to use it to the fullest."

"Would the training alone could get me hurt?"

"There is no known form of training that involves no pain; even video games that some of you humans play have a form of inner pain, that is, of being defeated. In fact, any forms of conflict in every level have varying degrees of pain. We cannot guarantee that you can win all the time, but we will make sure you can at least survive as much as possible. So hence, to fight is to be hurt, to be hurt is to feel, but to fight is also to do something right for what you believe in… or to sum it up, _no pain, no gain_."

Now Madoka doubted once more.

_Am I ready for this?_

* * *

><p>And Homura heard those words, <em>no pain, no gain<em>, repeating them in her head_._

How she could accept their offer to become one? She thought that Misato Katsuragi was making a fool out of her.

She learned long and hard, and early on that she was determined be no fool to anyone. Homura remembered the day she was in elementary school, back before the tsunami, before she became an orphan.

An exploitative classmate, seeing Homura (then wearing horn-rimmed glasses and in pigtails) being weak, unsure of herself, and wishing to be accepted by her peers, she asked her to pull a prank on their teacher by planting thumbtacks on the woman's chair by the desk. So she did, stealing a box of thumbtacks, waited for the opportunity until their teacher was summoned to meet with the principal outside the classroom. The girl laid several of the tacks on their heads, making sure they would hurt. Homura retreated back to her desk, waited for the inevitable as the teacher hastily came back in and without thinking sat down.

The classroom was instantly filled with the teacher's scream, and the bully who commanded Homura threw an accusing finger at her. Homura tried to deny, blamed the other girl for planning the prank… Yet because the girl was rich, and thus naturally made herself a pet for which the teachers asked her parents for a lot of favors, as the teacher picked off every tack from her buttocks, she decided on corporal punishment for Homura.

Pulling the weak girl from her desk, the enraged teacher forced Homura to lay down prone on the desk, before bringing out a wooden ruler and spanked the girl ten times until it hurt, and it made Homura shriek in pain.

Seeing through her tears, and grinding her teeth, Homura stared at the bully, who looked back with haughty eyes; she promised not to be a fool anymore, she avowed to become strong someday, once rid of the heart condition that made her wheeze until she passed out on the floor.

The punishment was too much; the teacher was fired, Homura was rushed to the hospital, and doctors fought to save her from dying by operating on her heart's problematic valve. Recovery afterwards took two months before she was allowed to return, with the scars of stitching over her heart, hidden behind gauze pads.

Homura came back to school, and now sitting once more at her desk. Unhappy with the girl's return, the bully resolved to ruin Homura's day.

At lunch break, the bully and her posse found Homura in the toilets, challenged her to a duel, and before the bully could beat her up, Homura turned the tables around by ducking and dodging every blow and kick directed against her, and instead slapped her opponents down.

Once Homura was left standing, the whole gang sprawled all over the tiled floor, she was astonished with the ability of visualizing events _two minutes into the future; _she could foresee which fist or foot would land in what part of the body_._

It was almost like… _magic_.

She couldn't believe it, and what to make out of this newly-found gift? Why, she decided to test it later by answering a mathematical question on the blackboard, a division of a very large number.

Before she could write the answer, Homura let her mind delve deep, her mind's eyes seeing which was the right answer, hundreds of possibilities branching out, seeing herself chalking in the solutions, until she found what she was looking for.

Upon opening her eyes, Homura wrote down the proper solution, and all that in the space of twenty seconds. The new teacher verified and pronounced the answer mathematically correct, and her classmates cheered.

But even then, apart from keeping her new gift a secret, Homura resolved that as she had paid the terrible price, she would not be a fool to anyone, and thus became careful with the way she conducted her life.

And now… after witnessing today's near-disastrous events, Homura wondered what was her purpose for being here; was it to continue her education? To make her life more meaningful? To be happy?

She had a reason bigger than any of them.

For Homura had a nightmare she went through a month ago, a strange one, which explained why she accepted the scholarship from an organization called the Shannon Trust, and journeyed on her own to study here, to forewarn Madoka, and to avert the possibility of that nightmare coming terribly true.

But… What was going on right now, except for a few similarities, was a situation very much _different_ from what she dreamed; it wasn't Kyubey or Misato making the sales pitch, but rather this time the unseen personage offering an unusual proposition.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sayaka's mind was spinning wildly; they were offering her a chance to become somebody else.<p>

A hero!

_To be like those… Children! To fight those Witches, Angels… or whatever the heck those creeps are! But, hey… If this is a job, then if I sign the dotted line, what do I get for killing those Witches? Do I get to be paid?_

Anyone who wished to inquire about Sayaka Miki's personality, especially answers from people close to her, would say that she was a girl with a highly idealistic view of the world, the definition of right and wrong as comparable to white and black, rather than a gray area.

What influenced her thinking? Because she was raised in more comfortable digs compared to some of her friends, and hence, living a sheltered life, much of her judgment was shaped and based on whatever she saw on television (mostly romance dramas), in movies (she had a _Twilight_ fixation for a while, and before that, _Harry Potter_), or in the light novels and manga she read.

Being idealistic, Sayaka wanted the world to be made in the way she envisioned it, and this included her own views on justice, peace and love; regarding justice, those who have suffered should deserve any form of compensation for injuries, while the villains should be punished, never to see the light of day.

As for love… well, her ideal romance stemmed from her childhood, watching Kyosuke Kamijo perform right on stage, and he was so magnificent playing the violin that Sayaka's heart melted right there; he looked sweet, she wanted to be near to him, he was everything she wanted: his kindness, his looks, and more.

So Sayaka insisted to her parents that she be enrolled in the schools where Kyosuke studied, without telling them her true reasons. She befriended him, and since then they were so close, helping him in any way she could.

But one day, just as Sayaka was heading to school, she overheard several Mitakihara Academy students talking about Kyosuke involved in a four-lane, rainy-day smashup on the expressway.

She skipped school, went to the hospital instead, and discovered that Kyosuke's arms and hands were badly fractured after he pitched forward right into the dashboard; he survived, but not his violin instructor, who was driving the car and therefore died in the seat. The doctors told Sayaka it would take months before he could use his limbs again, but as a consequence barred from playing the violin once more.

This left Sayaka shattered, wishing it was her, not Kyosuke, who should suffer, yet she was not devoid of any hope, however remote the chances of Kyosuke's odds of recovering. She was waiting for a miracle, that somehow and perhaps someday Kyosuke could come back and become the virtuoso he wanted to be.

"Do you wish for something, Sayaka Miki?" Kyubey asked.

Sayaka's reverie was snapped at that instant. "Uh… Yes?"

"Do you desire something to be done? Even if you think it's impossible?"

"Yeah," Sayaka said, nodding.

"Then what is it?"

"If… If I join, is it possible if you could help Kyosuke bring back his arm? He broke his several months ago, and he's still in the hospital."

"You mean Kyosuke Kamijo, am I correct?" Kyubey questioned.

"Yeah, that's him, all right… But, hey, how did you know?"

"We have looked into his medical records, Miss Miki," Ritsuko said.

Sayaka blinked. "What?"

"Every potential Candidate we come across over the years, has his or her own personal requests, if any, to be fulfilled in exchange for their special services upon becoming one of the Children," the woman said. "In your case, it's your long association with Mister Kamijo that you have become very concerned about his plight, and we've understood that his genius should not be left to waste."

"Uh… So, you do like the way he plays the violin?"

"We greatly appreciate and support the arts as much as you do," Ritsuko answered. "Hence, we have very advanced medical technology that could help your friend have his hands and arms _regenerated completely._"

Sayaka went wide-eyed. "Really? Does it work?"

"Of course," Ritsuko answered. "But that will be possible—"

"—Only if I join," Sayaka completed the woman's reply, and she then swallowed hard, unsure of what would come next. "I've seen how they fight," the girl added, referring to the Children.

"And have you decided?"

Here it was, they were offering Sayaka a chance for her Kyosuke to become whole once more; had she tried without their means, she would've been left penniless due to the prohibitive costs of restoring his limbs.

But only after she decides to become one of the Children.

Now she made up her mind. _It's done... I'm set._

Sayaka took a deep breath and said, "I'm not afraid anymore… I'm ready."

"What?' Shinji and Madoka said aloud in unison. Even Homura expressed her surprise by blinking.

The verdigris-haired girl turned to her best friend. "I want to do this for Kyosuke's sake. That's it, there's no turning back for me."

"But…" Madoka trailed. "You could get hurt."

"Fear nothing, Madoka," Sayaka reassured her with a smile. "I'll try to be my best if they wanted to, and whatever missions they ask me to accomplish. I'll train hard as much as I can, and that's a promise."

Ritsuko, Misato, Makoto and the Children nodded and whispered in approval, before Kyubey walked up to Sayaka and said, "Will you please step forward, right in the middle?"

Sayaka sighed before she advanced one step, in the very center of the platform, and stood there.

But then Homura stepped out of line and voiced out her decision: "I'm also ready."

Shinji was surprised. "Huh?"

"What?" Madoka exclaimed, but the other girl's violet eyes stared into hers.

"I can see it in your eyes," Homura said. "You're _not_ ready for this."

A flash of anger crossed Sayaka's face.

"What do you mean?" Madoka countered.

"You are _too good_ to be part of this," the dark-haired girl said. "You cannot afford to let your life to become complicated."

"But…"

"You have everything too precious to you, especially your family."

"Why? How did you know?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt, as what they're asking from you is do something dangerous, and I cannot explain it to you much. I'll take your place instead."

Madoka wondered how much this girl knew about her, despite that they met only for the first time today, and only in a very small verbal exchange, with Homura asking her to remain as she should be.

"As for you, Sayaka," Homura said. "Are you taking the risk?"

"Of course I have to!" the girl shot back. "I will move heaven and earth just to see Kyosuke come out of the hospital, and so I'm taking the offer without me having to pay a single yen for his cure! Do you think I'm that dense? We've seen it all today how they do it, and if they need a hand, I'm ready to help to save this city."

"Calm down, you two," Misato chided both girls. "This isn't the right time for a catfight."

Sayaka turned away from Homura, distancing herself from that newcomer. "Okay, okay, Miss Katsuragi… We'll see about that, Akemi, and no thanks for scaring off my friend!"

Asuka rolled up her eyes and muttered a curse; Rei and Kaworu shook their heads, and Mami frowned.

"That's enough!" Misato ordered. "I will not tolerate any dissent between any of you. As your commanding officer, I insist for cohesion among anyone involved, and that includes you Candidates. What would be for us if there's infighting? We would lose more than we could win. Remember that."

The verdigris-haired girl nodded. "Okay."

The dark-haired girl said nothing; it was now futile to prod Sayaka to change her mind.

"Good," Misato said, satisfied by their agreement. "Keep it that way, girls. Cool down."

There was a half-minute of silence as heads cooled off, until Sayaka broke her silence. "Madoka," she whispered. "Do you want to?"

"N… I'm not sure," Madoka answered, sounding doubtful. "Homura could be right; I might not be ready… I could get hurt, and besides, my parents could get angry if they ever find out… and please, don't try to fight right in front of me."

"All right," Sayaka said, conceding to Madoka's concerns. "I'm not going to bother Homura from now on, I'm not going to let my folks in on my secret, as long as I'll be one of the Children to make Kyosuke happy."

Kyubey shook his head. _Humans,_ he thought. But then the creature wondered what was taking Shinji too long to decide, despite being the most important of all the Candidates…

* * *

><p>His heart pounding, Shinji was thinking hard, wondering what would happen if he took their offer.<p>

For a very long time his father abandoned him to his relatives, there to spend almost a decade after his mother's demise. He didn't know why his father left him behind on the platform, crying there, standing besides the pair of duffel bags packed with his belongings.

Perhaps the reason why he left him on his own, Shinji thought himself to be useless, without purpose or a reason to exist, which was why he developed an inferiority complex within that decade of abandonment.

Bullies picked on him, they gave him a bloody nose, they kicked him around, they stuck his head into the toilet, and he came home crying. Sometimes they challenged him to fight, but he backed out and ran away. He then felt he was hated by the world he lived in, an undesirable, a boy shunned by a society who respected strength, fame or fortune.

Eventually Shinji thought he was the reason for his mother's death, a loss that was branded into his mind, and every night he thought of the classmates who had happy families, and thus led happy lives.

Somehow he survived those years, eventually happy and contented to be with his relatives, as his earlier trauma slowly receded into the darkest corner of his mind, and then forgotten.

At the same time he persevered by playing the cello, a preoccupation that afforded him a degree of personal serenity, but even then he was lonely, walking all by himself to school, refusing offers from classmates for him to hitch a ride.

The loneliness soon gave way to his desire to be praised, admired, to be given due notice, and to be treated well like a normal person.

Perhaps, Shinji thought, this was the reason why his father summoned him to come to Mitakihara City, and the reason why he was here and now, standing before people he barely met and known, as he was being asked to join, waiting for him to make his final choice… and hopefully his father might see him and approve of his decision.

That was it.

He could make his father happy in that way… but only if he must be able to face the dangers of being one of the Children.

Now Shinji doubted, wondering if he could withstand the pain. But… Considering today's events, and having tried to fight off the Minions, and even more significantly, he repelled and defeated a Witch without the benefit of any offensive weapon available in the Children's hands.

"I'll do it," Shinji finally said, breaking his silence as he walked forward, putting himself in between Homura and Sayaka.

"What?" Madoka said.

"I'll not run away, Kaname," Shinji answered. "Even if I haven't seen him yet, my father wanted me to be here, to do this… even if I'm afraid of what lies ahead."

"You have made a very responsible decision, Shinji Ikari," Kyubey said. "I admit that, prior to your arrival, I have conversed with your father, who expressed his desire that you should be involved in the _Eva Program_."

"This is a… program?" Shinji mumbled.

The feline creature nodded. "That's right. You have the potential, the ability, possessing untapped powers that have been lain dormant within you. Now, if you must, Misses Akemi and Miki… and Mister Ikari, extend your right hands."

"What for?"

Without Kyubey supplying an answer, they saw three points of light descending from the tree branches. As they dropped slowly and closer, the points of light became cylindrical in shape until they floated over their teens' heads. Made of glass, the cylinders had metal caps on both ends, and like atomic orbits, runes of an unknown tongue scrolled around them.

"_Reach out your hands, Candidates," the invisible voice intoned. "These are your Evas."_

"Eva…?" Shinji mumbled, but before he could say another word…

Without warning, the capsules exploded and the Candidates were engulfed in a conflagration of bright lights, the runes snaking around their bodies and limbs, causing them to look left and right, wondering what was happening to themselves.

"What…" Shinji mumbled. "What's going on?"

"What's happening to me?" Sayaka cried.

But Homura could only express her disbelief, open-mouthed as the runes twirled around her arms, before she felt something strange happening to her body, a fleeting sensation of pain.

And then the runes vanished; even the bits and pieces of the cylinders were gone.

Shinji and Sayaka blinked twice.

"Huh? Nothing happened," the young man said.

"It's okay," Kaworu said. "The data has just been written into your body."

"Data? What?" Sayaka said, disbelief written on her face.

Kaworu nodded. "Let's see if you can activate it… Focus your consciousness into your right hand."

As ordered, the trio took a deep breath and closed their eyes to concentrate.

_Focus your mind… Focus on the weapon you can use to fight. Focus on that which dwells deep within you…_

_The Eva._

Suddenly the Candidates – now initiated Children – wielded weapons in their hands, and they glanced downward to see their gifts. Even their seasoned comrades were momentarily awed or surprised by the newcomers' tools of the trade.

Sayaka held aloft a single, curved daikatana in her hand, its matchless chromed-steel blade glowing with a sea-green sheen, and an aquamarine gem on the hilt. She also swore that the blade seem to hum deeply.

Mystified, Homura now had a pair of submachine guns – both strongly resembling the compact KRISS Vector – but finished in polished silver, affixed with a sapphire gemstone on each grip panel. Heavy they appeared to be, she found the weapons to be extremely lightweight as she hefted them.

And Shinji… his Eva came in the form of a chrome-finished automatic pistol with wings etched into its long slides, and the grip was made of ebony, decorated with a circular amethyst chip in the middle.

"I…" the young man mumbled. He couldn't believe this was possible.

"So, these are the forms your will have manifested," Kaworu remarked. "Interesting."

_My will, _Shinji thought for a moment, but just then the conjured weapons disappeared quickly as they had summoned.

"What?" Sayaka muttered, her daikatana gone in a flash.

"It's gone!" the young man cried. "No… they're gone! Where did they go?"

"Well," Kaworu said. "You managed to pull off a very good one right from the start. The Evas is your 'will'; you, Shinji, have already shown us that."

Shinji blinked.

"And with this," the gray-haired boy said. "You'll be able to fight."

"Huh? W… Wait a minute, you keep telling me I'm going to 'fight', but… How the hell can you expect me to just sit here—"

_The ethereal voice cut him off: "You Children have the ability to do so, but in your case, Shinji Ikari… You are the only one who can."_

Only then they saw leaves falling down by the dozen, fluttering, a warning to all of them what would happen if they could not accomplish their tasks; the leaves were brown, brittle to the touch as Kaworu caught one in his hand.

"It's happening again," Kyubey said, the creature looking up.

_What are these… leaves?_ Homura asked inwardly.

"Yggdrasil is withering away," Kaworu said.

Sayaka blinked. "What?"

Madoka and Shinji gasped.

"This tree is the pillar that supports this 'world'. Should it die, this 'world' will be absorbed with the others that exist along with it, resulting in chaos."

The new Children said nothing but watched the leaves fluttering down.

"To prevent that from happening," Kaworu continued, "we need the Cores in order to support the Yggdrasil."

With his fingers, Kaworu twirled around the browned, withered leaf by the stem.

"Even though you're here right now, let's say, for example, that you'd gone straight home yesterday, as you usually do – in that case, you probably wouldn't be here right now. But if you'd chosen to do something, shall we say, 'different', yesterday you would've faced a different future."

Shinji frowned, somewhat confused. _Is he trying to say something?_

Kaworu noted the expression on the other boy's face. "Come on, don't give me that face," he said. "I'm only saying what could've happened. I'm not just trying to rub this in your face, as if saying 'you got what you deserved'."

A flash of annoyance crossed Shinji's face. _What the—_

Asuka clucked her tongue. _Hooboy, he's got a bad personality._

"The moment man realizes he has a multitude of options to choose from," Kaworu continued, "the world begins to construct different paths for that man to travel, so that eventually, as large amounts of time passes, those branches may mature and grow to adulthood.

"To prevent the branches from never meeting, here lies that convergent point, and the ones that protect that equilibrium are the Cores.

"That is why it's imperative that we must find and defeat the Angels and their Witches," Kaworu concluded, "and to obtain their Cores."

"That's how you do?" Shinji asked. "But… I'm not like you guys, I still have much to learn, I can't simply jump into a trouble spot and—"

"Hey, dummy! That's enough!" Asuka Langley Soryu exclaimed.

"What?" the young man twirled to face Asuka, who glared back at him.

Misato shook her head. "Knock it off, Asuka," she chided. "I want you to wait for us at the debriefing room, but get yourself cleaned up first."

"Okay," Asuka agreed rather sourly, as she looked down on her uniform and there were some dust spots here and there. "No problem," she added, walking away until she exited through the door.

Kaworu clapped Shinji on the shoulder.

"Don't let her get into your skin," he said. "It's just that your timing's bad, and besides, she's also probably baiting you."

Rei could only sigh as she watched the others.

"Timing, huh," Shinji said. _I'll be damned if I'm going to stick along with that girl, _he glumly thought_._

"Ikari," Rei said, calling him by surname.

"Yeah?"

"Have you decided what path you will take from now on? Your future?"

Shinji had nothing else to say, blinking.

"It can change," Rei warned. "I must go first now to the debriefing room, so I shall see you later." She then pivoted and walked off, leaving the rest of them standing.

"Some girl," Madoka whispered to Mami, observing Rei leave the group without saying good night.

"Yeah," Mami replied almost quietly. "She's always like that… almost like Akemi."

Standing a couple of meters away, Homura glanced at her watch, and then looked around, waiting for a chance to leave.

"So?" Sayaka said. "You guys must be very entertaining, huh?"

"It's always like that, pretty typical," the honey-haired girl answered. "Usually I chose not to budge in unless there's something important."

The girl sniggered. "I see. Guess I'll have to get used to it."

Mami smiled. "Now if there are any issues, just come to me, okay?"

"Thanks," Sayaka said.

* * *

><p>Just beyond the group, Misato was engaged in conversation with Ritsuko and Makoto while feeding in information on the scientist's laptop. But Homura kept her distance, preferring to brood on her own.<p>

As he observed, Kaworu was thinking: _This is going to be rough. The next time I'll have to be the peacekeeper between those two, and should push comes to shove, then I may have to step in and get their acts together._

_As long as I'm around, I'm not going to tolerate any conflict within the team._

"Okay," Misato announced. "All of you will have to come with me at the debriefing room, just to tell what happened and then a little introduction. The Sub-Commander will be present and listening, so you best be getting to the point when you're talking, okay?"

The teenagers – Children, seasoned and new – nodded.

"I forgot to ask this," Shinji said, "but where's Father?"

Misato sighed. "He's preoccupied in his work. I'm sorry," she said. "But he might have time soon to see you."

"Really?"

"I hope so, Shinji," Misato said. "Afterwards, we'll have dinner before going home… and oh, that includes you, Homura. I see you want to leave."

Homura blinked. "How… Why?"

"Since you seem to be very unsociable, from now one I want you to be a little more involved, and another thing: are you looking for a place to crash in? I mean, a place to sleep?"

"Yes, Miss Katsuragi," Homura answered. "I'm trying to find a place to rent a room, but it's too late."

Misato grinned. "Then you've come to the right place," she said. "I have an extra bed in my apartment, so don't be afraid to bunk there."

Homura bowed. "Thank you... and I apologize for—"

The woman put her finger to the lips. "Don't say anything. I'm fine with it," Misato said, before she faced Shinji. "What about you?"

"Uh…" Shinji said. "I'm going to stay with Kaji."

Misato nodded. "Ah," she said.

"He says he knows you, but for how long?"

"It's been a very long time, but I don't think now's the right time to talk about it." She then turned to Ritsuko, and asked, "Is everything done?"

Ritsuko tapped a few keys on the laptop, before shutting it down. "Yeah, update's complete. They're in the records now," she said. "I'll be checking out the samples later; they've arrived right now in the lab."

"Great," Misato said. "All right, it's time to go, guys. We have to get your first day wrapped up early before nine; I don't want anyone to wake up late for school tomorrow."

_Four Children seem to be easy to handle compared to now. But sparks can fly even on a newcomers' first day, so it's still my duty to get these kids read off from the same sheet of music and fight._

_Anyway, tonight I'll be having enough time to know Homura a little more, and try to understand how she ticks._

* * *

><p>As they followed Misato through the corridor, Kyubey walked up to Madoka. "This doesn't mean it's the end," he said.<p>

Madoka blinked. "Why?"

"The offer's always open," the feline alien said. "You can come here at anytime if you wish to join, though this happens only once in a lifetime."

Madoka nodded. "I'll think over about it... But for now, I don't think I'm ready for this."

"That's okay, we're not forcing you, but even if you're still a Candidate, the catch is that you should never tell anyone about this place. Remember that."

"I will," the girl promised, along with the gesture of crossing her heart with a finger. But then her eyes were drawn to Homura, who looked sullen, before Sayaka wrapped her arm around Madoka.

"Hey," Sayaka said cheerfully. "If I do very good, and if I hack this right, I hope Kyosuke would get the very best. Sure this might beat working part-time at some third-rate restaurant. Now, if you're not sure being part of this, that's not a problem."

"By the way, Madoka," Misato said. She had an idea in mind.

"Pardon me?"

"Tomorrow, meet us after school at the Detective Club room. Five o'clock sharp."

"Okay," Madoka agreed. "But why?"

"You'll be going on a patrol. With us. I want you to personally see how we perform."

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the complex, Kozo Fuyutsuki was engaged in a conversation with his long-time partner, Commander Gendo Ikari; the former stood before the latter's desk, the bearded man with his hands forming a tent. Displayed on his monitor was the report that Ritsuko furnished, consisting of personal records belonging to the new Children. Both men were in the Commander's office, heavily decorated with the reproduction of the Athanasius Kirchner Sephirotic System diagram on the ceiling, and a bubble chamber etching on the floor.<p>

"It's done," Gendo said as he was reading, "but three, not four as I was expecting."

"And one of them is your son," Fuyutsuki replied. "I suppose you should be glad."

Gendo adjusted his glasses. "Very well then; he must prove himself to be useful. His years away from me should not have made him too soft, but now is the right time that his eyes must be opened to the reality of the situation we're facing."

Fuyutsuki nodded. "I have talked to another," he said. "Besides your son, this morning I also had Homura Akemi in my office."

"Ah… And what have you discussed with her?"

"Some questions about her background, personal problems if any, and of course I noticed her behavior; she seems to be somewhat less emotional than any of the Candidates we have encountered, plus she had a heart operation in the past. What do you think?"

Gendo was now looking at Homura's personal records in the database, which included official files from the government, even those supposedly kept confidential. Something about Homura caught his eye, but then he dismissed it, preferring not to discuss it with Fuyutsuki.

"I find her very acceptable," Gendo said instead.

_A perfect counterpart for Rei, _he thought, before he remembered yesterday's online meeting with the mysterious old men; they sounded anxious at first, as if they were expecting every piece of their money put to use, but Gendo reassured them that the Program was being implemented smoothly.

"As you know, I talked to the old men and they said it's happening now; the Angels are making their treacherous presence known by creating more Witches. Of course I see it as a good opportunity for the Yggdrasil Tree to be replenished."

"To maintain the balance," Fuyutsuki said. "Yes, very important in these trying times. The old men must be very pleased right now, what with Kyubey's choices and Akagi's DNA analyses."

In addition to Kyubey's natural ability to sense the 'potential' of every teenager, for years since the first DNA analysis tools became available, it was standard practice to obtain blood samples of every Mitakihara Academy student, to identify potential Candidates for the Eva Program.

So far in the program, after only one mission as Children, most of them quit out of fear, and had to have their bodies surgically "deprogrammed" from using the Eva, and memories modified before being released back into society.

"Except in the case of Madoka Kaname," Gendo said. "She does not know it, but I have studied the analyses on that young woman; she has potential equal to Shinji's capacity. It is, however, unfortunate that she declined, but for the time being." He then made the all-too-familiar monosyllable "Hmmm…"

"The doors are always open for her, though," the gray-haired man said. "Of course, we're not forcing those youngsters to join."

"I know," Gendo said. "But it's a matter of time before she could change her mind; I'm also aware that, somewhere ahead and along the line, something will bring her to think once more about joining."

"Are you referring to the Scrolls?"

"Yes, and between those prophetic lines lies her destiny, and whether she refuses or not, her fate will not change."

"And she is—"

"According to Kyubey, and corroborated by the MAGI further analysis, her meridian points," Gendo said, "are matched to that of Shinji, hence they are _mutually_ _compatible_."

"How that happened?"

"This morning, Akagi made the scans on the boy while in class, long enough before the MAGI processed the data, thereby creating a personalized meridian point diagram for his benefit, which I have then overlaid with that of Madoka Kaname."

Fuyutsuki blinked.

"Should they be partnered," Gendo spoke. "It's only then they would be able to bring out the _mash-mak*_ to destroy our enemies, and possibly the Beast of Walpurga; if left undefeated, that Beast will bring itself to attack and destroy the Tree that we are trying to save from dying."

"I see… and regarding the 'outcast' you're seeking for, our men are still trying to find that young woman, but we have now identified her, based from electronic records in the national police database."

Gendo murmured, before he inquired, "Who is she?"

"Her name is Kyoko Sakura."

* * *

><p><strong>Special Note: <strong>

_*Mash-mak_ - Said to be used by the Atlanteans, the fourth root-race (of Atlantis), for the great potent sidereal force, which Edward George Bulwer-Lytton called in one of its earthly manifestations _Vril _(in his book _Vril: The Power of the Coming Race_).

_"It is this vibratory Force, which, when aimed at an army from an Agni Rath fixed on a flying vessel, a balloon, according to the instructions found in _Ashtar Vidya_, reduced to ashes 100,000 men and elephants, as easily as it would a dead rat. It is allegorized in the _Vishnu Purana_, "in the fable about the sage Kapila whose glance made a mountain of ashes of King Sagara's 60,000 sons, and which is explained in the esoteric works, and referred to as the _Kapilaksha_ - 'Kapila's Eye' "_ (SD 1:563).

**Author's Notes:**

Damn, and this really took me long, to think and write.

Writing this required a wholesale review of what I knew about these two shows, and then it takes a lot of imagination to create an entirely different universe along with some other influences outside of _Eva_ and _Madoka _(and I do have several in mind).

For example, in order to fit into the world of _Campus Apocalypse,_ NERV had to be restructured entirely along the lines of _Men in Black _interms of organization, equipment and functions, which explains why there's a Neuralizer (an alien gadget designed to modify memories), and why Kyubey is working for NERV (you'll find out in later chapters, where I'll provide new depth to his character).

Yeah, it's very hard, but once the foundation is laid on, from there everything's wide-open.

As this crossover fic is entirely on a different category, in further chapters I might add some esoteric and strange bits and pieces, influenced largely by my teenage reading of W. Raymond Drake's notorious _Gods and Spacemen in the Ancient West._

Finally, I think I have found this fic's official OP theme: _Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari _by Supercell, from the _Bakemonogatari _soundtrack, and it's so much of an earworm!

By the way, since this is still a work-in-progress, errors will be inevitable, so well-written comments and criticism will be fine.

Thank you.


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